The debate on contact-tracing highlights the urgency of tackling unregulated technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). With a strong democracy and reputation for first-class research, Switzerland has the potential to be at the forefront of shaping ethical AI.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? “Artificial intelligence is either the best or the worst thing ever to happen to humanity,” the prominent scientist, Stephen Hawking, who died in 2018, once said.
An expert group set up by the European Commission presented a draft of ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI at the end of 2018, but as of yet there is no agreed global strategy for defining common principles, which would include rules on transparency, privacy protection, fairness, and justice.
Thanks to its unique features – a strong democracy, its position of neutrality, and world-class research – Switzerland is well positioned to play a leading role in shaping the future of AI that adheres to ethical standards. The Swiss government recognizes the importance of AI to move the country forward, and with that in mind, has been involved in discussions at the international level.
What is AI?
There is no single accepted definition of Artificial Intelligence. Often, it’s divided into two categories, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) which strives to closely replicate human behaviour while Narrow Artificial Intelligence focuses on single tasks, such as face recognition, automated translations and content recommendations, such as videos on YouTube.
End of insertion
However, on the domestic front, the debate has just begun, albeit in earnest as Switzerland and other nations are confronted with privacy concerns surrounding the use of new technologies like contact-tracing apps, whether they use AI or not, to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The European initiative – the Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing initiative PEPP-PT – advocated a centralized data approach that raised concern about its transparency and governance. However, it was derailed when a number of nations, including Switzerland, decided in favour of a decentralized and privacy-enhancing system, called DP-3T (Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing). The final straw for PEPP-PT was when Germany decided to exit as well.
According to a recent survey, nearly two-thirds of Swiss citizens said they were in favour of contact tracing. The DP-3T app is currently being tested on a trial basis, while waiting for the definition of the legal conditions for its widespread use, as decided by the Swiss parliament. However, the debate highlights the urgency of answering questions surrounding ethics and governance of unregulated technologies.
The “Swiss way”
Artificial intelligence was included for the first time in the Swiss government’s strategy to create the right conditions to accelerate the digital transformation of society.
Last December, a working group delivered its report to the Federal Council (executive body) called the “Challenges of Artificial Intelligence”. The report stated that Switzerland was ready to exploit the potential of AI, but the authors decided not to specifically highlight the ethical issues and social dimension of AI, focusing instead on various AI use cases and the arising challenges.
“In Switzerland, the central government does not impose an overarching ethical vision for AI. It would be incompatible with our democratic traditions if the government prescribed this top-down,” Daniel Egloff, Head of Innovation of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) told swissinfo.ch. Egloff added that absolute ethical principles are difficult to establish since they could change from one technological context to another. “An ethical vision for AI is emerging in consultations among national and international stakeholders, including the public, and the government is taking an active role in this debate,” he added.
Seen in a larger context, the government insists it is very involved internationally when it comes to discussions on ethics and human rights. Ambassador Thomas Schneider, Director of International Affairs at the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), told swissinfo.ch that Switzerland in this regard “is one of the most active countries in the Council of Europe, in the United Nations and other fora”. He also added that it’s OFCOM’s and the Foreign Ministry’s ambition to turn Geneva into a global centre of technology governance.
Just another buzzword?
How is it possible then to define what’s ethical or unethical when it comes to technology? According to Pascal Kaufmann, neuroscientist and founder of the Mindfire Foundation for human-centric AI, the concept of ethics applied to AI is just another buzzword: “There is a lot of confusion on the meaning of AI. What many call ‘AI’ has little to do with Intelligence and much more with brute force computing. That’s why it makes little sense to talk about ethical AI. In order to be ethical, I suggest to hurry up and create AI for the people rather than for autocratic governments or for large tech companies. Inventing ethical policies doesn’t get us anywhere and will not help us create AI.”
Anna Jobin, a postdoc at the Health Ethics and Policy Lab at the ETH Zurich, doesn’t see it the same way. Based on her research, she believes that ethical considerations should be part of the development of AI: “We cannot treat AI as purely technological and add some ethics at the end, but ethical and social aspects need to be included in the discussion from the beginning.” Because AI’s impact on our daily lives will only grow, Jobin thinks that citizens need to be engaged in debates on new technologies that use AI and that decisions about AI should include civil society. However, she also recognizes the limits of listing ethical principles if there is a lack of ethical governance.
For Peter Seele, professor of Business Ethics at USI, the University of Italian-speaking Switzerland, the key to resolving these issues is to place business, ethics, and law on an equal footing. “Businesses are attracted by regulations. They need a legal framework to prosper. Good laws that align business and ethics create the ideal environment for all actors,” he said. The challenge is to find a balance between the three pillars.
The perfect combination
Even if the Swiss approach mainly relies on self-regulation, Seele argues that establishing a legal framework would give a significant impulse to the economy and society.
If Switzerland were to take a lead role in defining ethical standards, its political system based on direct democracy and democratically controlled cooperatives could play a central role in laying the foundation for the democratization of AI and the personal data economy. As the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW suggested in a whitepaper at the end of 2019, the model for that could be the Swiss MIDATA, a nonprofit cooperative that ensures citizens’ sovereignty over the use of their data, acting as a trustee for data collection. Owners of a data account can become members of MIDATA, participating in the democratic governance of the cooperative. They can also allow selective access to their personal data for clinical studies and medical research purposes.
The emergence of an open data ecosystem fostering the participation of civil society is raising awareness of the implications of the use of personal data, especially for health reasons, as in the case of the contact-tracing app. Even if it’s argued that the favoured decentralized system does a better job preserving fundamental rights than a centralized approach, there are concerns about susceptibility to cyber attacks.
The creation of a legal basis for AI could ignite a public debate on the validity and ethics of digital systems.
Original post: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/regulation_ethical-artificial-intelligence–could-switzerland-take-the-lead-/45754096
Hi there friends, how is all, and what you would like to say
about this article, in my view its in fact remarkable in support of me.
I’m the proprietor of JustCBD brand (justcbdstore.com) and am looking to grow my wholesale side of business. I am hoping someone at targetdomain can help me . I thought that the most effective way to do this would be to connect to vape stores and cbd retail stores. I was really hoping if someone could recommend a reliable site where I can purchase Vape Shop Marketing Lead List I am currently reviewing creativebeartech.com, theeliquidboutique.co.uk and wowitloveithaveit.com. Not exactly sure which one would be the most ideal choice and would appreciate any guidance on this. Or would it be simpler for me to scrape my own leads? Suggestions?
I’m the proprietor of JustCBD Store company (justcbdstore.com) and I am currently looking to broaden my wholesale side of company. It would be great if anybody at targetdomain share some guidance 🙂 I considered that the most suitable way to do this would be to reach out to vape companies and cbd stores. I was hoping if someone could suggest a trusted website where I can purchase Vape Shop B2B Marketing List I am presently examining creativebeartech.com, theeliquidboutique.co.uk and wowitloveithaveit.com. Unsure which one would be the best option and would appreciate any advice on this. Or would it be easier for me to scrape my own leads? Suggestions?
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be useful to read through content from other authors and practice something from their sites.
That is a good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere. Short but very precise information… Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
This is a good tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere. Brief but very accurate info… Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this post and also the rest of the site is also very good.
That is a great tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere. Simple but very precise information… Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!
You are so awesome! I do not believe I’ve read through a single thing like this before. So wonderful to find somebody with a few unique thoughts on this subject matter. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This web site is something that is needed on the internet, someone with some originality!
I wanted to thank you for this fantastic read!! I absolutely loved every little bit of it. I’ve got you bookmarked to look at new stuff you post…
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not disappoint me just as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, however I genuinely believed you’d have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you could fix if you were not too busy searching for attention.
After looking into a number of the articles on your website, I truly like your technique of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my website as well and let me know what you think.
I love it when individuals come together and share thoughts. Great site, continue the good work!
I was able to find good info from your blog posts.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. I really hope to see the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own blog now 😉
That is a good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise information… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read article!
Hello .Do you eat at McDonalds ? if you from canada and eat at McDonalds , you can get free McDonalds Gift Card , this just for limited time , try now and get free meals >> http://lnkclik.com/95s7
I like it whenever people get together and share ideas. Great site, continue the good work!
Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful post. Thanks for providing these details.
Great post! We will be linking to this particularly great article on our site. Keep up the great writing.
I blog frequently and I really thank you for your information. This great article has really peaked my interest. I will take a note of your site and keep checking for new details about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed as well.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this site. I am hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own website now 😉
Greetings! Very useful advice within this post! It is the little changes that produce the largest changes. Thanks for sharing!
I used to be able to find good information from your blog posts.
Excellent web site you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find good quality writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
I really love your website.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you create this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m attempting to create my own personal site and would like to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Cheers!
Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written any better! Looking through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
After I initially commented I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on whenever a comment is added I get four emails with the exact same comment. Is there an easy method you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
You are so cool! I don’t suppose I’ve read something like that before. So great to discover somebody with a few original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thanks for starting this up. This website is one thing that’s needed on the internet, someone with a bit of originality!
Having read this I thought it was rather informative. I appreciate you spending some time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
Very good article! We will be linking to this particularly great content on our website. Keep up the great writing.
I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. I really hope to check out the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own site now 😉
Great web site you have got here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours these days. I honestly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Very good blog post. I absolutely love this website. Keep it up!
I was able to find good information from your blog posts.
Wonderful article! We will be linking to this great post on our website. Keep up the great writing.
Can I simply say what a relief to find someone that really understands what they are talking about on the internet. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people must check this out and understand this side of your story. I was surprised that you’re not more popular because you surely have the gift.
It’s an amazing paragraph for all the web viewers; they will obtain benefit from it
I am sure.
I read this paragraph fully regarding the difference of latest and earlier technologies,
it’s remarkable article.
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s equally educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy that I came across this during my search for something relating to this.
After I originally commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is a means you can remove me from that service? Appreciate it!
Hi there! This article couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept preaching about this. I am going to send this article to him. Fairly certain he’s going to have a very good read. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent post. I certainly love this website. Thanks!
An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment. I do think that you need to publish more about this topic, it might not be a taboo matter but generally people don’t talk about such subjects. To the next! Cheers!!
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing this article and also the rest of the site is very good.
I like it when individuals get together and share ideas. Great blog, continue the good work!
The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it does not fail me as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I actually believed you would probably have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something you can fix if you weren’t too busy searching for attention.
Can I simply say what a comfort to discover someone who really understands what they are discussing on the web. You certainly realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people have to read this and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you’re not more popular given that you definitely possess the gift.
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post! It is the little changes that make the most significant changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I could not resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who had been doing a little research on this. And he actually bought me breakfast because I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending the time to talk about this matter here on your site.
Can I simply say what a comfort to discover a person that really understands what they are talking about on the internet. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people really need to read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you are not more popular given that you most certainly possess the gift.
After looking at a handful of the articles on your web site, I honestly like your way of writing a blog. I book marked it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my web site as well and tell me what you think.
Great info. Lucky me I found your blog by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve saved it for later!
I’m extremely pleased to find this page. I want to to thank you for ones time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff on your web site.
After I originally commented I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I receive 4 emails with the exact same comment. There has to be an easy method you can remove me from that service? Appreciate it!
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously think this web site needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks for the information!
A motivating discussion is worth comment. I think that you need to publish more about this subject, it might not be a taboo subject but usually people don’t speak about such subjects. To the next! All the best!!
Excellent web site you have here.. It’s hard to find excellent writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Your style is so unique compared to other folks I have read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this web site.
I was able to find good advice from your blog articles.
It’s very trouble-free to find out any topic on web as compared to textbooks, as I found this article at this website.|
Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It is the little changes that will make the largest changes. Thanks for sharing!
That is a good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise info… Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
Your style is unique compared to other people I’ve read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.
This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something which helped me. Thanks a lot!
Hello there! I just want to offer you a huge thumbs up for the excellent information you have right here on this post. I will be returning to your web site for more soon.
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It’s always useful to read through content from other writers and practice something from other sites.
Hello! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from New Caney Tx! Just wanted to say keep up the great work!|
Achieving your fitness goal does not have to require a certified personal trainer or an expensive gym memberships, especially when you have the budget and the space to consider practically every workout machine on the market.
Spot on with this write-up, I actually believe that this website needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks for the info!
Wonderful post! We will be linking to this particularly great article on our site. Keep up the great writing.
You ought to take part in a contest for one of the most useful sites online. I most certainly will highly recommend this website!
bookmarked!!, I like your website!
I like it when individuals get together and share views. Great website, continue the good work!
I really love your blog.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you make this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my own website and would like to know where you got this from or just what the theme is called. Appreciate it!
I’ve learn several just right stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much attempt you put to create this sort of wonderful informative web site.|
Good blog post. I absolutely appreciate this website. Stick with it!
When I initially left a comment I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the exact same comment. Perhaps there is a way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon every day. It’s always exciting to read content from other writers and use a little something from their web sites.
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you so much, However I am having problems with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I am unable to join it. Is there anyone else getting similar RSS problems? Anybody who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanx!!
I want to to thank you for this great read!! I certainly loved every little bit of it. I’ve got you saved as a favorite to check out new things you post…
bookmarked!!, I really like your web site!
The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint me just as much as this one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read, nonetheless I truly thought you would probably have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you can fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.
I was able to find good information from your blog posts.
It’s hard to find knowledgeable people in this particular subject, however, you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
My coder is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a number of websites for about a year and am anxious about switching to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!|
I need to to thank you for this excellent read!! I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. I’ve got you book marked to check out new things you post…
Saved as a favorite, I like your website!
This is the right site for anyone who would like to find out about this topic. You understand so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic that has been written about for a long time. Great stuff, just wonderful!
I just could not depart your website before suggesting that I really enjoyed the usual information an individual supply for your guests? Is gonna be back incessantly in order to investigate cross-check new posts|
I used to be able to find good advice from your blog posts.
Great article. I’m dealing with a few of these issues as well..
bookmarked!!, I like your web site!
This is a really good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Simple but very accurate info… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read post!
Excellent post. I’m facing some of these issues as well..
Good post! We will be linking to this great post on our site. Keep up the good writing.
You made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for additional information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this site.
Everything is very open with a clear explanation of the challenges. It was definitely informative. Your site is very helpful. Thank you for sharing!
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who was conducting a little research on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast simply because I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to talk about this topic here on your web page.
Everything is very open with a clear clarification of the challenges. It was truly informative. Your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing!
Good day! I just would like to give you a huge thumbs up for the excellent info you have right here on this post. I will be returning to your web site for more soon.
Your style is really unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this site.
This entry could detail so much more 🙁 Please update it soon?
You ought to be a part of a contest for one of the highest quality blogs on the web. I am going to highly recommend this web site!