TAMING THE MACHINES

Witnessing the harm done by online disinformation campaigns, algorithmic discrimination, and digital surveillance, there are increasing calls for regulation of artificial intelligence and other related digital technologies. Indeed, a recent article in Nature Machine Intelligence reported that there are over 70 sets of principles and guidelines on AI Ethics issued by companies, academic institutions and public organizations around the world in the last five years, which demonstrate the urgency of proper regulation of AI and digital technologies.

The governance and regulation of AI and digital technologies, however, cannot be limited to principles and guidelines on AI Ethics. To achieve good AI governance and regulation, there is a variety of challenges: One challenge is how to put principles into practice, and how to coordinate and mediate conflicting principles in concrete contexts. Another challenge is the danger of 'ethics washing', where the implementation of governance and regulatory frameworks is delayed by 'ethical debates' or replaced by the instalment of Ethics Review Boards without clear mandate and supervisory power. There are also questions about power and legitimacy—who get to decide and on what basis the decision is justified.

These are some of the questions any satisfactory account of AI governance and regulation must address. The public lecture series invites internationally renowned scholars to explore major questions about the governance and regulation of artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

Additional speakers may be added to the lecture series. Given the uncertainty associated with COVID-19, the lectures will be delivered in digital form. To get the latest updates and details to access the lectures, please visit http://uhh.de/inf-eit.