Maxwell School News and Commentary

Maxwell School professor examines the philosophy and ethics of data science and artificial intelligence.

“Washington uses ‘chokepoints’ to restrict global access to AI development, but this approach may threaten U.S. national security while creating significant moral dilemmas,” says Johannes Himmelreich, associate professor of public administration and international affairs. 

“Military and surveillance tech aren’t bad or unethical as such. Instead, supporting national security and doing so in the right way is incredibly important. And supporting national security is, in fact, arguably the ethical thing to do," says Johannes Himmelreich, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs. 

“Some people compare AI to the atomic bomb. I don't think this is that kind of risk, but there are risks. There are concerns—ethical, economic, social and cultural—that have to be addressed before it's too late. And I think one of our best tools to do that is policy,” says University Professor Hamid Ekbia.

“All communities need to innovate responsibly. The review will give everyone a say,” says Johannes Himmelreich, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs. “I would not want such drones to fly under the radar of public input.”

“There’s no way for Elon Musk to be unbiased,” says University Professor Hamid Ekbia. “He will use his new-fangled role to insert xAI into a dominant position at the expense of competitors who have a history of divergent agendas and philosophies.” 

“If they had strictly stuck to doing technocratic policy and formulated this as a matter of bureaucratic procedure, avoiding terms to which the Republican administration is allergic, maybe that executive order could have stood a chance,” suggests Johannes Himmelreich, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs.

“The global regulation of AI will suffer as a consequence [of new controls], despite the circumstances that call for more global cooperation,” says University Professor Hamid Ekbia. “The political and geopolitical ramifications of this can be huge, enabling more authoritarian and oppressive uses of AI across the globe.”

University Professor Hamid R. Ekbia attended the NASPAA conference in Washington, D.C., and led a workshop and panel discussion on AI policy at SEICon in New York City.   

Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company, showcased one of its all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles equipped with the Waymo Driver—the company's automated driving system.