Why we need to focus on developing ethical, responsible, and trustworthy artificial intelligence approaches for environmental science

被引:41
作者
McGovern, Amy [1 ,2 ,7 ]
Ebert-Uphoff, Imme [3 ,4 ,7 ]
Gagne, David John, II [5 ,7 ]
Bostrom, Ann [6 ,7 ]
机构
[1] Univ Oklahoma, Sch Comp Sci, Norman, OK 73019 USA
[2] Univ Oklahoma, Sch Meteorol, Norman, OK 73019 USA
[3] Colorado State Univ, Elect & Comp Engn, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA
[4] Colorado State Univ, Cooperat Inst Res Atmosphere, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA
[5] Natl Ctr Atmospher Res, Computat & Informat Syst Lab, Boulder, CO 80301 USA
[6] Univ Washington, Evans Sch Publ Policy & Governance, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
[7] NSF AI Inst Res Trustworthy AI Weather Climate &, Norman, OK 73019 USA
来源
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SCIENCE | 2022年 / 1卷
基金
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
Artificial intelligence; climate; ethics; weather; BLACK-BOX; MACHINE; FORESTS; MODELS;
D O I
10.1017/eds.2022.5
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
Given the growing use of Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods across all aspects of environmental sciences, it is imperative that we initiate a discussion about the ethical and responsible use of AI. In fact, much can be learned from other domains where AI was introduced, often with the best of intentions, yet often led to unintended societal consequences, such as hard coding racial bias in the criminal justice system or increasing economic inequality through the financial system. A common misconception is that the environmental sciences are immune to such unintended consequences when AI is being used, as most data come from observations, and AI algorithms are based on mathematical formulas, which are often seen as objective. In this article, we argue the opposite can be the case. Using specific examples, we demonstrate many ways in which the use of AI can introduce similar consequences in the environmental sciences. This article will stimulate discussion and research efforts in this direction. As a community, we should avoid repeating any foreseeable mistakes made in other domains through the introduction of AI. In fact, with proper precautions, AI can be a great tool to help reduce climate and environmental injustice. We primarily focus on weather and climate examples but the conclusions apply broadly across the environmental sciences. Impact Statement This position paper discusses the need for the environmental sciences community to ensure that they are developing and using artificial intelligence (AI) methods in an ethical and responsible manner. This paper is written at a general level, meant for the broad environmental sciences and earth sciences community, as the use of AI methods continues to grow rapidly within this community.
引用
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页数:15
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