Can Extra Chairs Make Research More Ethical and Inclusive?
The rapid advancement of AI research and technology has led to a corresponding emphasis on ethical oversight, with the role of ethics chairs becoming increasingly prominent at scientific conferences. Marija Slavkovik encourages the community to discussion on their effectiveness.
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The International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI), established in 1969, has long been a premier gathering for AI researchers and practitioners worldwide. Its 33rd edition was hosted earlier this month on the scenic Jeju Island in South Korea.
This year’s event received over 5,600 paper submissions, with 14% accepted across the main track and three specialized tracks: AI, Arts, and Creativity; AI for Social Good; and Human-Centered AI.
AI conferences are often seen as being dominated by a focus on technological advancements, with authors typically concentrating on the mathematical, computational, and technical aspects of their work. This emphasis can sometimes lead to the neglect of critical ethical considerations. In response, the role of ethics chairs at such avenues has become increasingly common.
Marija Slavkovik, the head of the Department of Information Science and Media Studies at the University of Bergen served as the ethics chair at the recent IJCAI conference.
- The appointment of ethics chairs at conferences is not always standard practice, and within the AI field, this role is still relatively new, she explains.
Far from leading conference discussions, ethics chairs are more like ethical referees. When reviewers flag ethical concerns, the ethics chair steps in, working with the conference chair to decide how to proceed.
- Many AI projects have dual-use potential - they can be harnessed for both beneficial and harmful purposes, Slavkovik elaborates.
- Deciding what qualifies as 'unethical' is tricky and can be quite subjective, influenced by personal biases and cultural differences. This subjectivity makes it challenging to consistently determine whether a research paper should be rejected on ethical grounds, and it raises questions about whether such decisions should rest with a single individual, potentially undermining the position of ethics chairs. Scientific journals, as well as some of the major AI conferences, have established codes of ethics that outline the standards expected from submitting authors, including the requirement to clearly disclose the known or anticipated impacts of their research, notes Slavkovik.
- But to curb unethical research, we should also encourage a discussion on the role, impact, and effectiveness of ethic chairs at conferences, she adds.
Tackling Imbalance in Research
While evaluating the ethical standards of research papers and assessing their impact are crucial responsibilities within the scientific field, they are not the only challenges to address.
Equally important is prioritizing diversity and inclusion, ensuring that the research environment reflects a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds.
Associate Professor Samia Touileb, who serves as an ethics reviewer at the Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing and also holds the position of diversity and inclusion chair at the European Conference on Artificial Intelligence, emphasizes this point.
- Addressing ethical standards in research is vital, but it’s only part of the equation. To advance science, we must also tackle the imbalance in representation. Ensuring diversity and inclusion in research not only enriches the scientific dialogue but also leads to more innovative and equitable outcomes.
Buw how exactly do diversity and inclusion chairs work to create a more diverse research environment? Touileb explains:
- The role of diversity and inclusion chair is multifaceted and crucial for creating an inclusive atmosphere. These chairs often work to secure funding from sponsors to support the participation of underrepresented groups in the research community, thereby promoting equitable access to conferences, regardless of participants' geographical location. Moreover, they design and implement activities that enhance diversity and inclusion, such as organizing networking events like 'Birds-of-a-feather' sessions, which help foster a sense of belonging among all participants across various career stages.
