Published Sep 10 2021

‘What Happens Next?’: How Do We Teach Machines to Think Responsibly?

Mark
Andrejevic
Professor, Communications and Media Studies, Faculty of Arts
Rita arrigo
Digital Innovation Lead, Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Deputy Director CIAIRI - Centre for Industrial AI Research & Innovation at RMIT
Ann nicholson
Professor and Deputy Dean (Research), Faculty of Information Technology
Yolande strengers
Associate Professor, Digital Technology and Society, Emerging Technologies Research Lab
Susan carland
Academic, author and social commentator

If humans are programming artificial intelligence, are we stuck with the human biases that inadvertently work their way into AI systems?

The guests on this episode of What Happens Next? don’t think so.

Dr Susan Carland is again joined by communications and media studies expert Professor Mark Andrejevic, human-computer interaction scholar Yolande Strengers, Monash University Interim Dean of Information Technology Ann Nicholson, and Microsoft Australia’s former chief digital advisor, Rita Arrigo.

AI is undoubtedly playing a beneficial role in society, helping us respond more effectively to medical emergencies, improving surgical procedures, and even making our buildings smarter.

There are already methods in place ensuring society can hold AI and its designers accountable. Established ethics committees have been joined by new legislation and increasing awareness among policymakers.

Accessible courses and casual data science meetups enable any of us to join the conversation, and help shape emerging technologies, the data they use, and how they use it. As we work towards a more ethical society, we can ensure our AI is ethical, too.

“I think we could imagine cases where it's demonstrated over time that the machine actually makes a better decision with a better social outcome.”

Professor Mark Andrejevic

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About the Authors

  • Mark andrejevic

    Professor, Communications and Media Studies, Faculty of Arts

    Mark contributes expertise on the social and cultural implications of data mining, and online monitoring. He writes about monitoring and data mining from a socio-cultural perspective, and is the author of three monographs and more than 60 academic articles and book chapters. His research interests encompass digital media, surveillance and data mining in the digital era. He is particularly interested in social forms of sorting and automated decision-making associated with the online economy. He believes regulations for controlling commercial and state access to and use of personal information is becoming an increasingly important topic.

  • Rita arrigo

    Digital Innovation Lead, Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Deputy Director CIAIRI - Centre for Industrial AI Research & Innovation at RMIT

    Chief Digital Advisor at Microsoft, Australia

  • Ann nicholson

    Professor and Deputy Dean (Research), Faculty of Information Technology

    Ann is an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and a leading researcher in bayesian networks – now the dominant technology for probabilistic causal modelling in intelligent systems. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, co-authored the well-received ‘Bayesian Artificial Intelligence’ and attracted more than $8M in research funding.

  • Yolande strengers

    Associate Professor, Digital Technology and Society, Emerging Technologies Research Lab

    Yolande is a digital sociologist and human-computer interaction scholar investigating the sustainability and gender effects of digital, emerging and smart technologies. At Monash University, she leads the energy futures theme in the Emerging Technologies Research Lab, which undertakes critical interdisciplinary and international research into the social, cultural and experiential dimensions of the design, use and futures of new and emerging technologies.

  • Susan carland

    Director, Bachelor of Global Studies, and Lecturer, School of Language, Literature, Cultures and Linguistics

    Susan's research and teaching specialties focus on gender, sociology, contemporary Australia, terrorism, and Islam in the modern world. Susan hosted the “Assumptions” series on ABC’s Radio National, and was named one of the 20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices in 2012 by The Age.

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