EthicsSafetyTransparencycs.CY
The tension between openness and prudence in AI research
Jess Whittlestone, Aviv Ovadya
October 2, 2019
10 citations
Key Takeaways
-
Open sharing and safety concerns are in genuine conflict: The paper identifies a real tension between AI research's traditional commitment to open publication and emerging concerns about potential harms from misuse, suggesting this isn't a problem with an easy one-sided solution.
-
Different values lead to different conclusions about responsible practice: The paper emphasizes that researchers' differing beliefs and values—not just technical disagreements—shape whether they prioritize openness or caution, meaning the AI community must grapple with fundamental questions about what "responsible" means.
-
Current publication norms may need reconsideration: The paper suggests that AI research may need to move beyond traditional academic norms of unrestricted sharing and develop new publication practices that account for dual-use risks and potential harms.
-
The Montréal Declaration itself reflects this tension: By highlighting conflicting principles within the Montréal Declaration for Responsible AI, the paper shows that even frameworks designed to guide responsible AI contain built-in contradictions that the field hasn't fully resolved.
-
Practical solutions require community-wide deliberation: Rather than offering a single answer, the paper implies that responsible publication norms must emerge from ongoing dialogue within the AI community about how to balance transparency with prudence.