Artificial Intelligence (AI) covers a broad range of technologies that offer great potential and raise concerns, including ethical concerns. Some of these apply to any new technology. Potential benefits provide ethical justifications for AI, but what about potential risks and harms? How do we assess unknown harms, especially ‘dual use’ dilemmas where beneficial AI could be hijacked for harmful uses? Other ethical issues relate to the data used in AI. Machine learning offers the potential to process massive amounts of data that can be put to good use in disaster risk reduction, planning and guiding disaster responses. However, the quality of the output depends on the quality of the data input. What ethical responsibilities apply to monitoring data quality? How will privacy and confidentiality be protected for such data, especially if used for disasters in conflict or insecure settings? What if the data is influenced by inequities, or the output is used for stigmatization or discrimination? This presentation will examine these and other ethical issues with AI and disasters.

To identify ethical issues with AI and disasters.

To provide ethical analysis of concerns about AI and disasters.

To propose ethically responsible ways of using AI for disasters.