Ethics FAQs
Below are a few of the key questions about Machine Intelligence Garage and its work.
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Why is ethical use of AI important?
The responsible use of algorithms and data is paramount for the sustainable development of machine intelligence applications, as concluded by the recent House of Lords Artificial Intelligence Committee report. However, at present, there is a gap between theory and practice, between the ‘what’ of responsible AI and the ‘how’. There is demand from all sizes of organisation for help on defining and applying ethical standards in practice.
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What does Machine Intelligence Garage do to support the ethical use of AI?
Digital Catapult supports a number of activities to promote and ensure the ethical and sustainable use of AI. These activities began in the Machine Intelligence Garage programme.
Digital Catapult’s Ethics Committee developed an ethics framework, tailored for use by startups, that is used to support the consultations that each company receives from ethics committee members. In addition, cohort startups can access longer-term consultations (called ‘deep dives’) and office hours with ethics committee members. The programme provides participants with a range of workshops and tools that centre on helping startups use data and run operations more ethically and responsibly, whilst embedding good practice within the company and product.
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What is Digital Catapult’s ethics committee?
At present, there is a gap between theory and practice, between the ‘what’ of responsible AI and the ‘how’. There is demand from all sizes of organisation for help on defining and applying ethical standards in practice.
The Digital Catapult Ethics Committee, chaired by Luciano Floridi, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information & Digital Ethics Lab Director at University of Oxford, convenes some of the foremost minds in AI and data ethics to address this need. Launched in 2018, it comprises two elements: the Steering Board, who oversee the development of principles and tools to facilitate responsible AI in practice, and the Advisory Group, who work closely with startups developing their propositions through Digital Catapult’s Machine Intelligence Garage programme.
The Advisory Group’s collaboration with Machine Intelligence Garage startups ensures that the Committee’s work is tested and grounded in practice.
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Why was the ethics committee set up?
Digital Catapult Ethics Committee was launched in 2018, it acts as an independent body dedicated to realising responsible AI development in the UK.
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Who is on the ethics committee?
Chaired by Luciano Floridi, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information & Digital Ethics Lab Director at University of Oxford, the committee convenes some of the foremost minds in AI and data ethics to address the need for responsible and ethical use of AI. It comprises of two elements: the Steering Board, who oversee the development of principles and tools to facilitate responsible AI in practice, and the Advisory Group, who will closely with startups developing their through Digital Catapult’s Machine Intelligence Garage programme.
To see the latest committee, please click here to see all current members.
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How can businesses get involved with the ethics work for Machine Intelligence Garage?
AI startup companies can engage with the Ethics Committee by applying to join the Machine Intelligence Garage programme. As a programme participant you will have an ethics consultation within the first 3 months and you can apply to take part in a more comprehensive engagement (a ‘deep dive’).
Larger organisations can ask to join our Industry Working Group. Please email us at appliedaiethics@digicatapult.org.uk if that is of interest.
Participation in the programme is also an opportunity to influence the support offered and to ensure that the Committee’s work remains tested and grounded in practice.
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What is the Ethics Framework?
The Ethics Framework sets out key ethical considerations and underlying questions that provide a practical approach for startups, individual developers and experts to use in planning for and addressing the ethical challenges faced by their business, technology and ideas. The framework is used to support the consultations that Machine Intelligence Garage cohort startups receive from ethics committee members, but it is also perfectly possible (and encouraged) to use the framework independently.
The Ethics Framework is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence and we encourage feedback via appliedaiethics@digicatapult.org.uk
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How is the framework intended to be used?
The Framework consists of seven concepts with a corresponding list of questions for each. The questions are intended to illuminate the many contexts in which that ethical concept might be relevant to a business or project. Not all questions will be relevant at all times, and many questions will not have an immediate or clear answer.
Consult the framework around key milestones in a project. The right time to start thinking about the questions is at the earliest stages of company growth. Consider current, near and mid-future potential effects. The framework will help to characterise ethical opportunities and potential risks and to be open and clear both internally and externally about how these are evaluated and managed.
Users can download a copy of the framework on the ethics framework page.
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What are the seven principles of the ethics framework?
1. Be clear about the benefits of the product or service
2. Know and manage the risks
3. Use data responsibly
4. Be worthy of trust
5. Promote diversity, equality and inclusion
6. Be open and understandable in communications
7. Consider the business modelTo view the full framework and principles please click here.
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What other initiatives does Digital Catapult do in AI ethics?
Digital Catapult operates an AI Ethics programme with a number of activities and outputs.
This work includes the independent Ethics Committee, Industry Working Group, an Ethics Hub and published papers on the topic. To find out more about our work in ethics please visit the digicatapult.org.uk website
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How was the ethics framework established?
Digital Catapult’s Ethics Committee released its first iteration of the Ethics Framework in 2018 after a series of consultations.
The Ethics Framework is used in the consultations between the Advisory Group (a subset of the Ethics Committee) members and Machine Intelligence Garage startups, and it is updated regularly as a result of this feedback loop.
The Ethics Framework is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence and we encourage feedback via appliedaiethics@digicatapult.org.uk
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What is the difference between the ethics steering board and advisory group?
The steering board oversees the development of principles and tools to facilitate responsible AI in practice. The advisory group contributes to the supervisory role of the steering group while also participating in direct engagements with Machine Intelligence Garage cohorts.
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What are the key activities of the ethics board advisory group?
The advisory group contributes to the supervisory role of the steering group, however their main focus is to operationalise the work of the Ethics Committee through a range of ethics engagements with external organisations. Examples of such engagements include consultations, office hours, and deep dives with startups participating in Digital Catapult’s Machine Intelligence Garage programme.
The advisory group’s collaboration with cohorts ensures that the committee’s work is tested and grounded in practice.
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What are the key activities of the ethics board steering board?
- The steering board oversees the development of principles and tools to facilitate responsible AI in practice.
- Key activities of the steering board:
Establish, maintain and, if needed, update the principles for the Committee’s work - Provide mentoring and advice for the operation of the ethics engagements
- Review the delivery and efficacy of the engagements that are delivered in collaboration with the advisory group
- Propose or advise on suggested programme improvement, extension or other initiatives.