Social, Ethical, and Legal Aspects of AI in Development
By Anthony Akufo, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Guelph
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a central force in global development, offering solutions across various sectors, from agriculture to healthcare. AI promises exciting opportunities, improving efficiency, boosting productivity, and even tackling global challenges like poverty and climate change (Vinuesa et al., 2020). But alongside these benefits come significant social, ethical, and legal challenges that must be addressed.
Take, for example, the social implications of AI. It’s reshaping how we interact, work, and connect. Customer service virtual assistants and other AI assistants like Alexa have made our lives more efficient but have also reduced human interactions, leading to a loss of personal connection. For people who depend on human support like the elderly or those in rural areas, this shift can be isolating, further widening the digital divide. In agriculture, AI tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) promise improved productivity, but as Kuska et al. (2024) point out, farmers without the necessary digital skills may struggle, reinforcing existing social inequalities.
The challenges of AI does not end there. One of the most pressing issues is accountability. What happens when an AI system makes a mistake? Who is responsible? We saw this play out tragically in the case of 10-year-old Nylah Anderson, who died after participating in the “Blackout Challenge,” a dangerous viral trend promoted by TikTok’s algorithm. The challenge encourages participants to choke themselves until they lose consciousness. In 2024, a U.S. appeals court allowed her family’s lawsuit against TikTok to proceed, alleging that the platform’s algorithm promoted this harmful content directly to Nylah. The family argued that TikTok’s algorithm specifically targeted children, pushing dangerous content that ultimately led to her death. This case raises important legal questions about the duty of care that companies like TikTok owe to their users, especially vulnerable populations such as children (Justia, 2024). It also underscores the broader legal implications of regulating AI systems, particularly those used in public-facing platforms like social media.
Similarly, in agriculture, AI-driven crop management systems can make incorrect recommendations, leading to crop failures. Who should be held accountable in these situations? Farmers, tech providers, or developers? Uddin et al. (2022) highlight that legal frameworks need to keep up with the fast-evolving world of AI to ensure these systems are used responsibly.
In addition to these legal challenges, AI raises significant ethical concerns, particularly related to bias and transparency. AI systems can reflect and even amplify societal biases because they are often trained on historical data. Without careful human oversight, this can lead to unfair outcomes, such as biased hiring decisions or discriminatory loan approvals. Also, the collection and use of large amounts of personal data, especially in sectors like agriculture, pose serious ethical questions. As Uddin et al. (2022) explain, current laws often fail to address the complexities of data ownership, leaving farmers vulnerable to having their data used or monetized without proper consent, leading to distrust between farmers and technology experts.
While AI holds great potential for development, it also presents significant social, ethical, and legal challenges. The widening digital divide, issues of bias and transparency, and concerns over data ownership and accountability underscore the need for stronger regulatory frameworks. The need to address these challenges is crucial to ensuring AI promotes equitable and responsible development.
Reference:
Justia. (2024). Anderson v. TikTok Inc, No. 22-3061 (3d Cir. 2024). https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca3/22-3061/22-3061-2024-08-27.html
Kuska, M. T., Wahabzada, M., & Paulus, S. (2024). AI for crop production – Where can large language models (LLMs) provide substantial value? Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 221, 108924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.108924
Uddin, M., Chowdhury, A., & Kabir, M. A. (2022). Legal and ethical aspects of deploying artificial intelligence in climate-smart agriculture. AI & Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01421-2
Vinuesa, R., Azizpour, H., Leite, I., Balaam, M., Dignum, V., Domisch, S., … & Nerini, F. F. (2020). The role of artificial intelligence in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Nature Communications, 11(1), 1-10. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-14108-y
