Ethics and algorithmic processes for decision making and decision support
Far from being a thing of the future, automated decision-making informed by algorithms (ADM) is already a widespread phenomenon in our contemporary society. It is used in contexts as varied as advanced driver assistance systems, where cars are caused to brake in case of danger, and software packages that decide whether or not a person is eligible for a bank loan. Actions of government are also increasingly supported by ADM systems, whether in “predictive policing” or deciding whether a person should be released from prison. What is more, ADM is only just in its infancy: in just a few years’ time, every single person will be affected daily in one way or another by decisions reached using algorithmic processes. Automation is set to play a part in every area of politics and law.
Current ethical debates about the consequences of automation generally focus on the rights of individuals. However, algorithmic processes – the major component of automated systems – exhibit a collective dimension first and foremost. This can only be addressed partially at the level of individual rights. For this reason, existing ethical and legal criteria are not suitable (or, at least, are inadequate) when considering algorithms generally. They lead to a conceptual blurring with regard to issues such as privacy and discrimination, when information that could potentially be misused to discriminate illegitimately is declared private. Our aim in the present article is, first, to bring a measure of clarity to the debate so that such blurring can be avoided in the future. In addition to this, we discuss ethical criteria for technology which, in the form of universal abstract principles, are to be applied to all societal contexts.