The Educator Magazine UK May- August 2023 - Magazine - Page 18
Safe AI: is it possible?
By Bett
The EdSAFE AI Alliance is a global grouping of education organisations, institutions,
research and standards bodies whose mission is to ensure a safer, more equitable
and more trusted education ecosystem of AI innovation. Managing Director
Beth Havinga explains the importance of the global pledge launched by the
alliance, and why educators and policy makers should sign.
5. Safety and security
Security should be a top consideration,
no matter how benign the AI tool might
appear. To ensure the confidentiality of
personal data, the system need to be able
to resist external threats.
6. Bias and learning limitations
“Like everyone, I’m excited by the
possibilities of AI – we just need to ensure
its safe,” Beth explained. “We’ve got some
of the best minds in EdTech working on
this, but the technology is developing at
a dizzying pace. Since November, we’ve
been about 1 ½ weeks ahead of what was
happening: identifying threats just before
they became real.”
The alliance has outlined ten concerns,
which signatories pledge to address.
These include:
1. System transparency
Solution providers need to explain how
their AI systems learn or are trained. That’s
the only way AI tools can be used safely.
2. Data usage
As well as understanding how AI tools are
made, solution providers should also be
open about how the tools use data and
what that data is used for.
3. Informed consent
Data usage agreements must be in place.
Any related consent processes, specifically for minors, must be made accessible
and clear.
4. Privacy
Because of the way AI learns, you can’t
ever erase what you’ve told it (which
makes it impossible to comply with
GDPR laws). In this context, privacy is a
key concern, as is appropriate measures
and processes to ensure a user’s right to
rectification.
To identify, assess and mitigate bias or
limitations (unintentional or otherwise)
for any specific user types or groups,
solution providers and users need to be
vigilant. Processes are needed that focus
on inclusiveness by design, non-discriminatory practices, fairness and equity to
avoid abuses.
7. Accountability
Clear lines of responsibility and accountability are needed so that when breaches
occur, there is a clear path to remediation.
8. Human-in-the-loop
We can’t leave the machines in charge.
Human oversight of key decisions and
actions is essential when AI is used within
education and learning environments to
ensure ethical and human-centred use.
9. Verifiability
Human oversight is also needed to review
the interactions between the AI system
and users (particularly minors), including
internal AI metrics.
10. Stakeholder support
To have a deeper understanding of
the opportunities and challenges of AI
in learning environments, educators,
learners, and the broader education
community needs to be involved in the
identification of education problems and
the formulation of the solutions.
That may sound like a lot of things to
be worried about – and it is. But there’s
no getting around it if we’re to reap the
vast benefits AI offers safely. Beth says in
some places there might be an argument
for hitting the pause button to allow
regulators to catch up, but not to ban the
technology as some jurisdictions have
chosen to.
EdSAFE AI Alliance is urging all stakeholders including policy makers, educators,
providers of learning tools and systems
and researchers to sign the pledge, which
can be accessed here. The considerations
will help national, regional and international authorities set general guidelines,
but they will also help individual institutions and teachers be aware of what
they need to think about in order to take
responsibility for their own environments.