Ethics in the digital era (2003.06530v3)

Abstract: Ethics is an ancient matter for human kind, from the origin of civilizations ethics have been related with the most relevant human concerns and determined cultures. Ethics was initially related to religion, politics and philosophy to then be fragmented into specific communities of practice. The undergoing digital revolution enabled by Artificial Intelligence and Data are bringing ethical wicked problems in the social application of these technologies. However, a broader perspective is also necessary. We now face global and highly dynamics challenges that affect groups and individuals, specially those that are most vulnerable. Individual-oriented ethics are no longer sufficient, the new ethic has to consider the several scales in which the current complex society is organized and the interconnections between different systems. Ethics should also give a response to the systemic changes in behavior produced by external factors and threats. Furthermore, AI and digital technologies are global and make us more connected and smart but also more homogeneous, predictable and ultimately controllable. Ethic must take a stand to preserve and keep promoting individuals rights and uniqueness and cultural heterogeneity. Digital technologies have to the foundation for new models of society and help ensure ethical individual and collective values. For these reasons science has to be at the core of the new ethic as it helps understand the complex world. Finally, AI has advanced through the ambition to humanize matter, so we should expect ethics to give a response to the future status of machines and their interactions with humans.