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"Towards ethical machines - the AI contribution"
The event of the UZH BCC Lecture Series, organized by UZH Blockchain Center with Trust Square and Dezentrum.

Speaker: Prof. Abrahan Bernstein (UZH) and Suzanne Tolmeijer
When: Feb. 23th, 2021 18:00 – 20:00
Where: Broadcasted live online via Zoom

Abstract:
Increasingly complex and autonomous systems require machines to reason about ethics to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks to society arising from the new technology. But this is a non-trivial task: even just deciding which type of ethical theory to employ and how to implement it effectively in a given application is challenging. In this talk, we (1) introduce the main ethical theories currently being applied in AI, (2) describe the decisions AI researcher make to implement these theories, and (3) which technology they use to do so. We present an analysis of the field of machine ethics as well as possible steps to further the field.

Bio:
Abraham Bernstein is a Full Professor of Informatics as well as director of the Digital Society Initiative at the University of Zurich (UZH), Switzerland. His current research focuses on various aspects of the semantic web, data mining/machine learning, and collective intelligence. His work is based on both social science (organizational psychology/sociology/economics) and technical (computer science, artificial intelligence) foundations. Prior to joining the University of Zurich Mr. Bernstein was on the faculty at New York University and also worked in industry. Mr. Bernstein is a Ph.D. from MIT and holds a Diploma in Computer Science (comparable to a M.S.) from the Swiss Federal Institute in Zurich (ETH).
Suzanne Tolmeijer is a fourth year PhD student in the lab of Prof. Bernstein. She received her Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence from VU University Amsterdam. Her interest lies in human centered AI, using a multidisciplinary approach to tackle socio-technical challenges. She does research in topics ranging from AI design guidelines for appropriate reliance and machine ethics to diversity in automated news recommendations.

Recommended reading materials:
Suzanne Tolmeijer, Markus Kneer, Cristina Sarasua, Markus Christen, and Abraham Bernstein. 2020. Implementations in Machine Ethics: A Survey. ACM Comput. Surv. 53, 6, Article 132 (October 2020), 38 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3419633

Agenda:
18:00 - 18:05 Intro by UZH representative
18:05 - 19:00 Lecture
19:00 - 19:30 Q&A
19:30 - 20:00 Apéro

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