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AI, Philosophy of Technology, and Ethics

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AI Ethics

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Abstract

To understand many of the ethical questions that arise in relation to AI, we must understand how it is viewed as a technology. Different perspectives tend to shape some key questions, such as the ways in which humans and AI are compared and contrasted. The chapter gives an introductory overview of the philosophy of technology, highlighting issues that underlie some of the ethical questions we examine in later chapters. These include questions about the proper relation of technology to nature, such as whether it mimics or should attempt to exceed nature, the proper relation of humans to nature, the nature of scientific and technological knowledge, and the implicit values of technology. The philosophers discussed include Plato, Aristotle, and Heidegger. We also explore the ethical issues that may arise from the use of AI in communication technologies and the impacts on how communications are viewed and on relationships.

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    Acknowledgements

    This chapter was partially funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Health Services and Delivery Research Programme (project number 13/10/80). The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

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    1. Geller Institute of Aging and Memory, University of West London, London, UK

      Paula Boddington

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    Boddington, P. (2023). AI, Philosophy of Technology, and Ethics. In: AI Ethics. Artificial Intelligence: Foundations, Theory, and Algorithms. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9382-4_3

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9382-4_3

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