It seems like nearly every day there is a new publication or report about AI and ethics. This is all very good but I am not sure we need more ethics frameworks, rather we need ethical practice. And this is what the JISC publication 'A pathway towards responsible, ethical AI' is focused on.

Jisc says:

Discussions of artificial intelligence (AI) often jump straight to “ethics”. But there may be a better way. Asking simpler questions first may show that a proposal or product isn’t a good fit for the institution anyway. But if it is, the answers to those questions, and the process of obtaining them, should clarify the ethics, too.

Whether you are choosing, using, or benefiting from artificial intelligence, we hope this pathway will make you more confident in your relationship with it.

Using the pathway

The pathway has four main questions:

• Does this proposal fit our institution’s objectives?

• Does using AI fit our institution’s purpose and culture?

• Are we ready for it?

• Does using AI raise particular issues?

The full report is downloadable on the Jisc website.