Four Investors Explain Why AI Ethics Can’t Be an Afterthought
The text discusses the importance of ethics in artificial intelligence (AI) and how investors are taking a more active role in ensuring that AI companies adopt ethical oversight. Here are some key points:
- Investors are paying attention to ethics: Investors such as Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, Harlem Capital’s Henri Pierre-Jacques, and EC Ventures’ executives are emphasizing the importance of ethics in AI.
- Early-stage due diligence: Investors like Harlem Capital are conducting due diligence on founders’ ethics to determine if they will make decisions that align with investors’ values over time.
- Different approaches to regulation: The EU has stricter rules for AI, while China and the US have varying approaches. Corporations may need to take the lead in implementing ethical oversight.
- Sectors ahead of the rest: Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are a sector that has prioritized ethics, with companies considering insurance, regulation, job loss, and other implications. Generative AI for consumer-facing products like images or chatbots is another area where ethics have been overlooked.
- Investors’ responsibility: Investors should take an active role in promoting ethical oversight, even if governments do not require it.
Overall, the text highlights the growing awareness of the importance of ethics in AI and the need for investors to prioritize this issue when investing in AI companies.
