• by Megan Harris , Op-Ed Contributor, May 2, 2018

Artificial intelligence has grabbed headlines this year, and the news was mixed, to say the least. Vehicles piloted by AI rather than by humans were implicated in fatal car accidents. AI deployed in elliQ, a small robot, will make it possible for older adults to stay active and engaged. This contrast in the early stages of AI leaves a wake of anxiety and confusion behind us. It also brings to the surface the needed conversation around ethics in technology and data. 

No doubt, concerns about questionable conduct at tech firms is nothing new. Mark Zuckerberg’s Congressional appearances in defense of Facebook’s sharing of user data with Cambridge Analytica is just the latest.

But there is so much more than news cycles and public figures at stake. Each time one of these scandals break, public trust in technology, privacy and business takes a dive. Marketers need to be concerned. We use a range of AI technology to power personalization, attribution, and machine learning in digital marketing. We deploy chatbots for sales and customer service. I believe most of us do that responsibly and put the needs and privacy of our consumers first. 

If we want to continue to use technology to serve consumers in the digital marketplace, then we need societal permission. From our recent study, “Sex, Lies, & AI,” we know that “the public is open to AI playing a greater role in their lives, including in marketing [but] … 78% of the American public wants a new "Blade Runner law" that makes it illegal for AI applications to conceal their identity and pose as humans.” 

A number of academic and business leaders are working in support of thoughtful, ethical deployment of AI. They need to be recognized, and we need more of them. These three people are among the leading thinkers.  

Francesca Rossi is an Italian computer scientist and professor of computer science at IBM and president of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence. She wants to embed ethics into AI systems and believes in third-party review for compliance. Values-led standards should include input from stakeholders beyond AI developers—philosophers, economists, psychologists, economists, policy makers, and of course, the users. 

Marc Pritchard, chief brand officer at P&G, is renowned for innovation in CPG advertising. He has cut budgets, made big channel bets, and demanded transparency from the advertising ecosystem. But while he lauds AI for enabling brands to reach consumers in useful, engaging ways and at scale, he has also called for brands to be “responsible citizens” who use digital advertising as a force for good. 

Tenzin Priyadarshi, a Buddhist monk and director of the ethics initiative at MIT Media Lab, works to answer this question: “What does it mean for a system to be ethical by design?” He’s concerned that commercial competitive pressures will lead companies to data privacy misuse, a problem for which he sees “no immediate solution.” If some countries tightly enforce ethical standards, he fears companies will simply locate activities in places with less regulation. 

In addition to these leaders, marketing trade associations including the 4As and the Association of National Advertisers are actively shepherding discussions about ethics and standards for AI. 

As we debate the development and adoption of ethical standards, new applications of AI are being funded and developed at an astonishing pace: AI start-ups received $15.2 billion in funding during 2017, according to CB Insights. Inevitably, the momentum will follow the money. So, it’s up to brands and their agencies to adopt an ethical, transparent approach now—and urge their peers to do the same.