AI, Positive and Negative Responsibility Gaps, and Two Asymmetries between Praise and Blame

Date: February 2, 2024 (Friday)

Speaker: Prof Sven Nyholm, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, München

Chair: Dr Frank Hong, The University of Hong Kong

Abstract:

In my presentation, I will first offer a general argument for why artificial intelligence (AI) might give rise to gaps in responsibility. I will then distinguish between what I call positive and negative responsibility gaps: the first relates to cases in which people cannot justifiably take credit for positive outcomes brought about by/with AI technologies, the latter relates to cases in which people cannot justifiably be blamed for negative outcomes brought about by/with AI technologies. Next I will discuss two asymmetries related to praise and blame: one asymmetry related to the incentives that people have to claim credit or accept blame, and another asymmetry related to the conditions for deserving credit and deserving blame. I will end by discussing how these asymmetries between praise and blame can be related to potential worries about positive and negative responsibility gaps created by AI technologies. My conclusion will be that there is also a third asymmetry with respect to praise and blame and AI: namely, an asymmetry with respect to how easy/hard it is to fill positive and negative responsibility gaps.

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