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Twitter Share to Linkedin Komal Goyal is CEO of 6e Technologies , a Global IT Advisory & Consulting firm in Oracle Cloud, E-Business Suite and Government Consulting. AI boasts the power to revolutionize how governments interact with citizens , streamlining operations and enhancing services. Yet, if ethics aren't an integral part of the AI implementation, the long-term outcome can be disastrous. The U.S. government’s use of AI to pinpoint potential threats to the country by combing residents'
Social Media sparked a storm of criticism . The campaign has raised concerns about privacy, particularly among immigrants. However, there's a fine line here between keeping the country safe and respecting individual freedoms, and it's not always clear where that line should be drawn. This situation highlights the challenging decisions involved in balancing public safety with the right to privacy. Unethical AI can erode public trust. Biases embedded within AI algorithms could reinforce discrimination against marginalized groups, threatening the very fabric of our society. Additionally, mishandling personal data might lead to privacy infringements, further jeopardizing civil liberties. With this article, I aim to explore the intricacies of ethical AI deployment within federal agencies and delineate the best practices to preempt these pitfalls.
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Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, Pixel Watch Trump Posts 175 Million Bond Thanks To Billionaire Don Hankey Caitlin Clark Erupts For 41 Points As Iowa Advances To Final Four With Revenge Win Over LSU Ensuring Ethical And Capable AI The commitment to ethical standards is as critical as ensuring the AI's functionality and effectiveness in federal operations. For instance, creating an external ethics board to improve transparency, accountability and representation in AI development demonstrates a proactive approach to ethical AI. Here are a few other ways to ensure ethical and capable AI. Robust Oversight And Governance Establishing clear governance structures and oversight mechanisms is critical. In December 2020, the U.S. government issued the Executive Order on Trustworthy AI, which provides nine guiding principles aimed at constructing AI governance frameworks to manage risks and promote transparency. Bias Detection And Mitigation When addressing bias detection and mitigation in AI systems, it's crucial to understand the types of bias, which may include pre-existing biases present in the data, technical biases introduced by the AI's operation and emergent biases evolving from AI's interactions with the environment or users. In line with this, the NIST report offers a valuable blueprint. It emphasizes a holistic approach to understanding and addressing AI biases, ensuring AI models are transparent, can justify their decisions and remain trustworthy for users. Transparency And Accountability Fostering transparency is crucial to ensuring AI-driven decisions are clear and understandable. Deloitte's framework identifies six dimensions essential for building trust in AI: fairness, transparency, responsibility, safety, privacy and reliability. Stakeholder Engagement Engaging with various stakeholders , including industry, academia, labor unions and international partners, is important to ensure diverse perspectives are considered in AI governance. Incorporating the Tech Trust Teams (3T) approach also strengthens the ethical application of AI. This method includes legal and ethical advisors directly within consulting teams. It also ensures real-time support for ethical considerations, embedding AI principles throughout the development and deployment stages. Continuous Monitoring And Evaluation AI systems are dynamic, often improving post-deployment. Ongoing assessment is vital to ensure they remain aligned with ethical standards and perform as expected. In the U.S., the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has suggested an AI accountability framework , emphasizing governance, data quality, performance and monitoring of AI systems. Acknowledging the critical role of ethics in AI goes beyond these frameworks. It's about ensuring these advancements bolster rather than displace our workforce, fostering an environment in which technology and human ingenuity intersect harmoniously. Managing The Change The biggest hurdle in AI adoption is the fear of losing jobs in the workforce. On the contrary, AI applications have the potential to bring substantial benefits and opportunities to the government workforce. For example, they could reduce the volume of citizen inquiries by 25%, freeing human workers from mundane tasks to focus on more complex tasks. My recent experience with a government healthcare project illustrated this well. We implemented an AI-driven case management system, which not only sped up application processing but also allowed the agency to reallocate human resources to more critical areas where human insight is of more value. This transition, spearheaded by forward-thinking leadership, involved automating previously manual and repeated processes faced by 300 employees. It was the leadership’s recognition of the inefficiency of manual processes that primarily drove the transition, ultimately resulting in a direct improvement in service delivery to the public. Such success stories dispel fears associated with automation and also highlight the opportunities AI introduces to government operations. 3P's Of Ethical And Capable AI The essence of integrating AI into federal agencies is driven by the 3Ps: potential, public trust and preparation. Potential: By automating tasks, significant efficiencies can be introduced. Gartner analysts highlight that by 2026, 60% of government organizations are expected to emphasize business process automation, a substantial increase from 35% in 2022. This shift indicates a growing recognition of the benefits of automation in enhancing operational efficiency and service delivery within the public sector. Public's Trust: The heart of AI's integration into public services lies in fostering and maintaining the public's trust. This trust hinges on the transparency, fairness and accountability of AI systems. Every initiative must be meticulously reviewed for its impact on the public, with a critical eye toward safeguarding privacy, preventing bias and ensuring equitable outcomes while maintaining security. Preparation: To ethically deploy AI, thorough preparation is key. It requires developing structures to govern AI initiatives, such as establishing clear guidelines, forming oversight committees and fostering a culture aware of and committed to responsible AI. In embracing the 3P's framework, federal agencies can embark on a path that balances the innovative potential of AI. The journey toward ethical and capable AI is a collective endeavor—one that invites us to reimagine the role of technology in society, guided by the unwavering commitment to do right by the citizens we serve. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify? 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