IEEE Releases Ethically Aligned Design, Version 2 to show “Ethics in Action” for the Development of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (A/IS)

PISCATAWAY, NJ, 12 December 2017 – IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA), today announced the publication of the second version of Ethically Aligned Design: A Vision for Prioritizing Human Well-being with Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (EADv2). Adding emphasis to the launch of EADv2, The IEEE Global Initiative has concurrently created its “Ethics in Action” campaign (#ieeeEAD on twitter) to encourage the general public to provide feedback to the document or join Standards Working Groups. Details on how to submit feedback to Ethically Aligned Design, Version 2 are available via Submission Guidelines available on The IEEE Global Initiative’s website. All comments and input will be made publicly available and should be sent no later than 12 March 2018.

Ethically Aligned Design: A Vision for Prioritizing Human Well-being with Autonomous and Intelligent Systems was created with input by multiple committees of The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (“The IEEE Global Initiative”) that comprises over 250 global thought leaders and experts in autonomous and intelligent systems, ethics, and related issues. Both The IEEE Global Initiative and the document have been renamed to better address multiple associated fields of study (i.e., machine learning, artificial intelligence, intelligent systems engineering, robotics, etc.), and to ensure the broadest application of ethical considerations in the design of these technologies. The most comprehensive, crowd-sourced global treatise regarding the ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems available today, EADv2 provides an open platform for thought leadership and action to prioritize values-driven, ethically-aligned design for autonomous and intelligent systems.

Ethically Aligned Design, Version 2 reflects the input from 13 expert committees of The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, with five new committees having been added since the release of the first version of the document. Individuals wishing to contribute to the next content revision should consider submitting feedback based on content created by committees, which includes:

• General Principles
• Embedding Values into Autonomous Intelligent Systems
• Methodologies to Guide Ethical Research and Design
• Safety and Beneficence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI)
• Personal Data and Individual Access Control
• Reframing Autonomous Weapons Systems
• Economics/Humanitarian Issues
• Law

New Committees included in Ethically Aligned Design , Version 2

• Affective Computing
• Policy
• Classical Ethics in Autonomous and Intelligent Systems
• Mixed Reality
• Well-being

“IEEE, through The Global Initiative, the evolving Ethically Aligned Design document, and other associated activities, is following through on a commitment to engage global communities in creating practical guidelines that will help ensure the development of ethically aligned autonomous and intelligent products, services, and systems,” said Konstantinos Karachalios, managing director for IEEE Standards Association. “Towards that end, it is imperative that we create consensus about how these technology platforms may explicitly support and prioritize human values and well-being. In doing so, we will overcome current sensationalism and fears associated therewith and we will be able to maximize the potential benefits autonomous and intelligent systems can bring for humanity.”

Version Two of Ethically Aligned Design is being released under the Attribution-NonCommercial version of the Creative Commons license for any organization to adopt or utilize, thereby helping expedite ethical considerations in the creation of autonomous and intelligent technologies.

Ethically Aligned Design, Version Two is available for download today.

For more information, please visit The IEEE Global Initiative for Ethical Considerations in Autonomous and Intelligent Systems landing page.

The IEEE Global Initiative and Ethically Aligned Design contribute to a broader effort at IEEE to foster open, broad and inclusive conversation about ethics in technology, known as the IEEE TechEthics™ program.

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IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) is a collaborative organization where innovators raise the world’s standards for technology. IEEE SA provides a globally open, consensus-building environment and platform that empowers people to work together in the development of leading-edge, market-relevant technology standards, and industry solutions shaping a better, safer and sustainable world. For more information, visit https://standards.ieee.org.

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