The Ethics of Intelligence: Navigating AI’s Moral Maze

Written By: Khooshi Jajoo

Edited By: Japleen 

Artificial Intelligence is officially a major partaker in everyday life. From ChatGPT writing essays to facial recognition software unlocking smartphones, AI has rapidly embedded itself into our daily lives. But as we marvel at its potential, a profound ethical dilemma is emerging: Just because we can build intelligent machines, does it mean we should?

The excitement around AI often masks the deeper moral questions we must urgently confront. For instance, when AI is used in hiring processes or predictive policing, who is responsible if it discriminates? These algorithms learn from data put on the internet - data that often reflect historical biases. If AI reflects and amplifies those biases, it can silently reinforce systemic inequalities. The dilemma here is not about whether AI can make decisions, but whether it should be making decisions that directly impact human lives.

Then there’s the issue of consent and surveillance. AI-driven recommendation systems monitor our behavior constantly - what we like, watch, skip, or scroll past. These systems shape what we see online and even influence what we think. But most users are unaware of how much they’re being watched. Is passive consent through a vague “I agree” checkbox enough in an age where data is the new oil and privacy is vanishing?

Another major ethical concern is accountability. When an AI tool goes wrong - say, a self-driving car causes an accident - who do we hold accountable? The programmer? The manufacturer? The AI itself? Our legal systems are not yet equipped to handle such questions, and this legal vacuum is dangerous. We’re entrusting machines with decisions that carry life-altering consequences, yet we don’t fully understand or regulate their behavior.

Perhaps most disturbing is the use of AI in warfare and misinformation. Autonomous drones and AI-generated deepfakes challenge the very notions of truth and human control. When AI can create convincing fake videos or impersonate voices, it threatens democracy and public trust. The ethical dilemma is no longer just about what AI does - but how it distorts our reality. Hence, it is a mistake to blindly follow everything that AI says and to deem everything it says to be the truth. With the advent of AI, it is important for us to cross check every piece of information we receive so as to not fall into the web of lies so easily created by AI. 

Another concern which I personally think should be addressed first and foremost is the loss of human ability. Using ChatGPT for homework, AI driven machines for work, AI driven apps to make art - where are we stopping? There will come a time where humans will stop using their brains or their skills, because everything will be achievable by AI. While it may not seem so alarming right now, it can potentially lead to a reduction in our IQ, EQ, and SQ levels as well as a massive increase in laziness, boredom and ‘brainrot’. 

However, it's not all doom and gloom. AI has immense potential for good - diagnosing diseases, addressing climate change, improving education. But this potential must be guided by ethical frameworks. Technological advancement must not outpace our moral reasoning.

As a society, we need to ask tougher questions: Who is building AI, and for whom? Who benefits and who is harmed? Ethics should not be an afterthought in AI development. It must be the foundation. Governments, tech companies, and civil society must come together to create transparent, inclusive, and enforceable ethical guidelines for AI. It should always be the ethical guidelines first and the innovation or usage later. 

Ultimately, the AI revolution is not just a technological one. It’s a human one. The choices we make today will shape not only our future, but the future of intelligence itself - artificial or otherwise. Let’s ensure it’s a future guided by values, not just by code.