The topic of Ethics of Artificial Intelligence within the Canadian civic context centers on the societal, legal, and technological challenges posed by AI systems. These systems, which range from algorithmic decision-making tools to large language models, raise complex questions about accountability, transparency, equity, and human oversight.
Version: 1
Date: 2026-02-08
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A hospital deploys an AI system that triages emergency patients, determining who receives immediate attention and who waits. When a patient dies after being algorithmically deprioritized, the hospital claims the AI made the decision, the AI vendor claims the hospital misapplied the system, and the developers who trained the model claim they could not have anticipated this specific failure. No one is responsible, yet someone is dead.
Morten Rand-Hendriksen explores the profound impact of language on our understanding of technology, particularly AI. Using humor and personal anecdotes, he reveals how AI, devoid of understanding or intent, operates purely through pattern recognition yet feels human-like due to the language we use. He explains how terms like āartificial intelligenceā and metaphors such as "thinking" or "learning" distort our perceptions, fueling unnecessary fears about AI surpassing humanity. Morten emphasizes that technology is a choice shaped by how we describe and engage with it.
As artificial intelligence moves from research laboratories into everyday life, understanding its real-world effects becomes increasingly urgent. Beyond theoretical possibilities and hypothetical risks, what is actually happening as people use AI systems for tasks ranging from the mundane to the profound? Anthropic, the AI safety company behind Claude, has assembled a dedicated team to study exactly these questions.
Disinformationāthe deliberate spread of false informationārepresents one of the most significant challenges facing democratic societies. Social media platforms, which promised to democratize information, have also become vectors for manipulation. Artificial intelligence plays increasingly complex roles in this landscape: as a tool for creating and spreading disinformation, as a means of detecting and countering it, and as a source of new challenges as its capabilities grow.
The Hidden Workers Behind Artificial Intelligence: Human Labour in the Machine
When we interact with artificial intelligenceāasking ChatGPT to write an email, having Alexa set a timer, scrolling through algorithmically curated social media feedsāwe experience what feels like machine magic. But behind this apparent automation lies a global workforce of human labourers, often invisible, frequently underpaid, and sometimes traumatized by the work of making AI systems function.