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All Ethical Issues

Misrepresentation

Category: Bad Actors

AI and analytics can be fraudulently used by pretending that they are able to do something they are not. One example in the literature is the Scientific Content Analysis, or SCAN, the creator of which says the tool can identify deception. However, a scientific review of the system found the opposite. As Pro Publica reports, "The review devoted just one paragraph to SCAN. Its synopsis was short but withering. SCAN 'is widely employed in spite of a lack of supporting research,' the review said" (Armstrong and Sheckler, 2019; Brandon, et.al., 2019).

This is arguably a widespread problem. "Unfortunately research scientists win prestigious EU funding and other source of income by telling myths about the potential of AI (and robots) that are in fact false. Huge EU funded projects are now promoting unfounded mythologies about the capabilities of AI. When these projects fail or do not deliver the results, the researchers as for more resources and often get the resources. This means that our resources get ploughed into mythical research avenues based on hyperbole rather than real human good" (Richardson and Mahnič, 2017).

Examples and Articles

Why Are Cops Around the World Using This Outlandish Mind-Reading Tool?
"The creator of Scientific Content Analysis, or SCAN, says the tool can identify deception. Law enforcement has used his method for decades, even though there’s no reliable science behind it." by Ken Armstrong, ProPublica, and Christian Sheckler, South Bend Tribune Dec. 7, 2019 Direct Link

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AI ‘cheating’ scandal makes machine learning sound like a sport – it isn’t
News that Baidu, the Google of China, cheated to take the lead in an international competition for artificial intelligence technology has caused a storm among computer science researchers. It has been called machine learning’s “first cheating scandal” by MIT Technology Review and Baidu is now barred from the competition. June 12, 2015, The Comversation Direct Link

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