FCAI Society has kicked off several initiatives for societally and ethically cognizant AI development
Set up in early 2018, FCAI Society has now brought together a multidisciplinary group of researchers and artists working on artificial intelligence and its wide impact in society.
In its latest meeting on 6 November 2018 FCAI Society discussed with representatives of the Ethics group of the Finnish government’s AI Programme (tekoalyaika.fi). The FCAI Society is willing to act as a discussion partner to the Programme in matters of AI ethics.
FCAI Society will make an inventory of existing ethical guidelines for AI, with the view to produce a set of guidelines to facilitate and promote ethical thinking in AI development. The guidelines will work not only as an internal guideline for FCAI’s operations and research, but also provide researchers and practitioners outside academia an example checklist for adopting and applying artificial intelligence tools and methods. FCAI is keen to take a facilitating role in the public discussion concerning ethics of AI, and in this context, the manifesto would serve as a common reference point to spark future dialogue on the subject.
The FCAI Society will be active in suggesting new research programs for the Academy of Finland and will also initiate joint research project proposals on the subject of AI and Society.
The latest public event with FCAI Society members took place on 7 November in the Think Corner of University of Helsinki. Professor Hannu Toivonen (University of Helsinki), FCAI Society co-leader, Professor Jaakko Lehtinen (Aalto University, NVIDIA) and FCAI Society member, University Lecturer Anna-Mari Rusanen (digital humanities at University of Helsinki) drew a full house. FCAI Society will participate in further events directed towards the general public. You can view the event’s recording here.
The great success of Elements of AI, an open online course co-organized with Reaktor, is now followed-up by a Finnish version of the course and a new MOOC course, continuing on Elements of AI, but requiring programming skills, is in preparation. In addition, there will be a MOOC on Ethics of AI, for which FCAI Society will provide expertise and content. The aim of these courses is to provide AI literacy for all.
FCAI Society also has a series of podcasts planned concerning AI. The podcasts will feature FCAI Society members and other guests who will discuss the meaning, impact, hopes and risks related to artificial intelligence. The motivation behind the series is educational, both for the audience and the participants—a though-provoking chance to learn from different points of view how things like intelligence, privacy, art, work and creativity will be shaped by AI technologies.