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Digital Ethics Forum: coordinating UCL's interdisciplinary strengths

Transformative Technology funding awarded in 2018/19

data ethics word cloud

10 November 2018

Grant


Grant: Social & Ethical Aspects of Artificial Intelligence Call 
Year awarded: 2018-19
Amount awarded: £4,990

Academics 


  • Dr. Zeynep Engin, UCL Engineering Sciences
  • Dr. Ine Steenmans, UCL Engineering Sciences

This research project aimed to initiate an intra-UCL conversation around pressing ethical challenges arising from ubiquitous data collection and increasing adoption of algorithmic decision systems for every aspect of our lives. UCL Digital Ethics Forum, aims to feed into a major element of this vision ‘Social Implications of AI’ by exploring the ethical dimension in particular.

The first of a series of workshops was held on 1st May 2019 and comprised of high-level representation from UCL’s various faculties and the Deans’ of Law (Prof. Piet Eeckhout), Bartlett (Prof. Alan Penn) and Life Sciences (Prof. Geraint Rees). 

The following points were covered:

  • The complexity of technology and automation introduces unforeseen ethical challenges. Media bias has long been tolerated, but with machine learning, can we accept similar biases? The issue isn’t with the technology itself, but its unintended unethical outcomes.

  • AI exposes how we view ourselves. If machines surpass human intelligence, what makes us unique? This question is key to digital ethics, as AI forces us to reconsider fairness and ethics in an imperfect world.

  • A UNESCO document on digital ethics is being finalised for global adoption, potentially setting the standard for future discussions, including at UCL.

  • Ethical concerns need to be integrated into design. Engineers must have ethical principles presented in actionable, "designable" terms, ensuring ethics are part of the creation process.

Group of people in a workshop discussing digital eithics

 

Outputs and Impacts

  • This research project inspired and facilitated several interdisciplinary proposals at UCL, one of the most successful start-up initiatives from UCL, Holistic AI, emerged from the team that was assembled as a result of this initiative.
  • As of May 2021, UCL Digital Ethics Forum has held five workshops thanks to the funding support from UCLEPSRC IAA Innovation Networks Programme and UCL Grand Challenges:
    • Workshop 1: UCL Digital Ethics Forum: Inaugural Workshop, 1st May 2029Hosted by: Zeynep Engin (UCL Computer Science) and Ine Steenmans (UCL STEaPP)
    • Workshop 2: “Materialising the invisible labour of data workers”, 21st November 2019, Hosted by: Jenny Bunn (Information Studies)
    • Workshop 3: “Location Data Technologies and Their Societal Implications”, 10th January 2019, Hosted by: Mirco Musolesi (Geography), Didem Ozkul (Culture, Communications & Media)
    • Workshop 4: “Building a Teaching Agenda for UCL Digital Ethics Forum”, 22nd January 2020, Hosted by: Elizabeth Lomas (Information Governance)
    • Workshop 5: “Translating Algorithm Ethics into Engineering Practice”, 4th February 2020, Hosted by: Zeynep Engin and David Barber (UCL Centre for Artificial Intelligence)