Originally published in The Christian Post
A top bishop in the Church of England issued his “Ten Commandments of artificial intelligence,” during a major policy debate in London last week, based on the importance of trust and ethics in the evolving technology.
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The Rt Rev Steven Croft, the Lord Bishop of Oxford who is a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on artificial intelligence, spoke last week at the Westminster eForum Keynote Seminar, artificial intelligence and Robotics: Innovation, Funding and Policy Priorities.
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Croft came up with a 10-point plan following a debate on trust, ethics, and cybersecurity, the Internet of Business website reported, which he presented before government, academics and business representatives from around the world.
The so-called “10 Commandments of AI” begin with the call for AI to be “designed for all, and benefit humanity.”
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“AI should operate on principles of transparency and fairness, and be well signposted,” the list continues.
“AI should not be used to transgress the data rights and privacy of individuals, families, or communities.”
Next, it calls for the application of AI to be aimed at reducing “inequality of wealth, health, and opportunity.”
“AI should not be used for criminal intent, nor to subvert the values of our democracy, nor truth, nor courtesy in public discourse,” the fifth commandment reads.
“The primary purpose of AI should be to enhance and augment, rather than replace, human labor and creativity,” positions the sixth.
“All citizens have the right to be adequately educated to flourish mentally, emotionally, and economically in a digital and artificially intelligent world,” states the seventh.
The eight commandment insists that AI “should never be developed or deployed separately from consideration of the ethical consequences of its applications.”
The ninth commandment reads: “The autonomous power to hurt or destroy should never be vested in artificial intelligence.”
Finally, the 10th commandments calls on governments to ensure “that the best research and application of AI is directed toward the most urgent problems facing humanity.”
Croft, who writes for a blog on the CofE website, has talked about how AI is affecting people’s lives on a number of occasions in the past.
He wrote in a blog post last year that some innovations, such as robot vacuum cleaners that make maps of rooms using onboard cameras, raise important questions.
“Personal boundaries and personal privacy matter. They are an essential part of our human identity and knowing who we are — and we are far more than consumers. This matters for all of us — but especially the young and the vulnerable. New technology means regulation on data protection needs to keep pace,” the bishop warned at the time.
“We need a greater level of education about AI and what it can do and is doing at every level in society — including schools. The technology can bring significant benefits, but it can also disrupt our lives,” he added.
Fabrice Jotterand, a professor of Swiss nationality who teaches at a Wisconsin medical school and is a renowned scholar in neuroethics, told The Christian Post in an interview that many Christians don’t even know that AI technology is already in their lives.
“People think it is science fiction, it’s something of the future, or it’s in the movies. And I think that there is a kind of naiveté about these technologies,” Jotterand said.
“We shouldn’t say all technology, all AI, is necessarily inherently bad,” he added, warning that it should not be confused with the concept of transhumanism, which he said is another issue altogether.
