New technologies and AI offer great potential for improving our lives, but they also pose significant ethical challenges. How can we ensure that technology serves the common good? This is the question that responsible tech tries to answer.
At its core, responsible tech is about leveraging technology to benefit society and humanity, not merely to achieve higher profits. It’s about making ethical and responsible actions not just more commendable, but also more accessible and valuable.
The role of engineers and STEM professionals
We believe that ethical and responsible tech requires a strong and clear legal framework at the national and international levels. We also believe that engineers and STEM professionals have a key role to play in shaping and implementing this framework.
Nordic engineers and STEM professionals are ready to take responsibility for addressing ethical dilemmas in the development of new technologies and AI. However, they cannot do it alone. They need support, guidance, and governance from policymakers, regulators, and unions. They also need opportunities to voice their concerns and engage in dialogue with other stakeholders.
ANE’s approach
- We strive to promote Nordic engineers and other STEM professionals as responsible developers of new technology and AI systems.
- We support the implementation of EU regulations, like the GDPR, the Digital Services Act, and the AI Act, which provide market clarity and foster better functionality and innovation.
- We advocate for distributed responsibility and accountability in the organisational structures developing AI systems.
- We support the development of spaces for education, training, and discussions about ethical challenges in emerging technologies and AI.
- We endorse increased transparency, responsible AI, and strong AI Governance to maintain trust in technology.
Understanding AI Usage and Concerns among Nordic STEM Professionals
This survey report provides insights into how Nordic engineers and STEM professionals perceive AI, its implications, and their concerns about its usage in their respective fields.
Key Highlights
- 59% of Nordic STEM professionals use AI at work, with top applications in exploring new concepts, content creation, and creative processes.
- 35% feel AI has boosted their productivity, but 45% are unsure about its impact.
- Only 23% believe their company offers extensive AI policies, highlighting a need for better guidance.
- 8% feel adequately trained in AI skills, indicating a significant training gap.
- 36% are concerned about bias and discrimination, and 39% worry about privacy when AI is used at work.
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Publications
Report – Nordic engineers’ stand on Artificial Intelligence and Ethics
Nordic engineers’ stand on AI and ethics presents the deliberations resulting from the ANE AI & ethics hackathon held in September 2018, facilitated and developed jointly with the IT University of Copenhagen.
Report – Addressing Ethical Dilemmas in AI: Listening to Engineers
Published in January 2021, the report voices engineers’ concerns and presents their recommendations in the final report from the second AI hackathon in 2020. Engineers assert that they are ready to take responsibility for tackling ethical dilemmas in AI, but they can’t shoulder the responsibility alone.
Policy recommendations and guidelines – Nordic engineers’ stand on Artificial Intelligence and Ethics
Summary of the proposed actions for ethical conduct for AI development and implementation from the Hackathon: Nordic engineers’ stand on AI and ethics.
Focusing on human decisions in AI
Our role as engineers, IT- and STEM professionals is to innovate. But this should not stop us from being part of the discussion of the future of technology. We have the expert knowledge and the ability to ask critical questions about innovative technology developments and discuss the ethical perspectives of new technology.
The engineers are the developers, designers, and often the AI systems managers. ANE works with other stakeholders to provide spaces to discuss the development of new technology and the need for governance systems that secure the responsible use of technology.