As technology races ahead with new developments we could previously only ever dream up, questions of ethics arise too. How do we responsibly use the once-futuristic innovations that are now a modern reality, and what does it all mean for us?
California State University, Bakersfield’s Kegley Institute of Ethics and the School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering have teamed up for an “Ethics in Film” screening of the documentary “AlphaGo” and a discussion of ethics and technology to follow. The virtual event will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. via Zoom.
“AlphaGo” is a 2017 documentary about the Google DeepMind Challenge Match, which pitted a world-class master of the ancient Chinese board game Go against an artificial intelligence designed to beat any human at the game. Go, which includes black and white stones over a square gridded board, is a game of strategy and has more board configurations than there are atoms in the universe.
“This event is an opportunity for students to engage in an open and interdisciplinary discussion of ethical themes surrounding artificial intelligence, competition and humanity,” said Dr. Kallee McCullough, assistant director of the Kegley Institute of Ethics and assistant professor of criminal justice. “Students will walk away invigorated to think and continue to have meaningful conversations about these issues.”
Dr. McCullough said the documentary will raise questions like whether AI is something to fear or embrace and what the future holds for AI and humanity. She and Dr. Chengwei Lei, an associate professor in NSME’s Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will lead a discussion following the film.
“Science fiction works often explore the destructive potential of artificial intelligence for humanity — for example, job loss, algorithm bias, misuse of AI for devious purposes or unintended negative effects on the human condition,” Dr. McCullough said. “However, AI may offer positive impacts, such as creating jobs, increasing efficiency and enhancing the human experience by reducing time spent on mundane tasks. As AI continues to develop and improve, it is important to think about these questions to understand the benefits and challenges of this emerging technology.”
KIE first learned of “AlphaGo” from Dr. Andrea Medina, director of grants and outreach for NSME, who has also been involved in the organization of this event. Dr. Medina said she was looking for ways to engage students virtually and had worked with the film’s company for previous screenings. The documentary’s topics made it perfect for a collaboration between NSME and KIE.
“It's important to understand the ethical implications behind all of the new and exciting research that is happening,” Dr. Medina said. “I knew this movie would be of interest to our students in NSME and was happy that the Kegley Institute of Ethics team wanted to work together to bring it to a campus-wide audience.”
The institute regularly hosts “Ethics in Film” events and saw the documentary as an opportunity to bring together students of different academic interests.
“The ‘Ethics in Film’ events have consistently involved rich discussions with people from diverse perspectives,” Dr. McCullough said. “This event is not just for computer programmers, rather it will benefit any student because AI is something that impacts the lives of everyone, regardless of educational discipline.”
The film screening and discussion is open to all currently enrolled CSUB students, as well as university faculty and staff members. For more information, visit cs.csubak.edu/~kie/ or email Dr. McCullough at kmccullough1@csub.edu. For disability-related accommodations, reach out to Janice Clausen at (661) 654-3360 or by email at jclausen@csub.edu no later than 48 hours before the event.
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