JOURNAL OF LEADERSHIP, ACCOUNTABILITY AND ETHICS
Ethical AI and Big Data in Times of Pandemic
Author(s): Merve Hickok
Citation: Merve Hickok, (2020) "Ethical AI and Big Data in Times of Pandemic," Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, Vol. 17, Iss. 4, pp 104-113
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
In times of public emergencies or security threats, governments put in place practices to gain information, hence control and authority, under the premise of responding to crisis. These programs incur longer term unintended consequences. We review the surveillance and tracking put into effect during COVID-19 pandemic and overlay it with ethical Big Data and AI principles of Purpose & Value, Accountability & Trust, Respect for Data Rights & Privacy, and Prevention of Harm and Bias. Exigent circumstances must not lead us down the road of trading ethics for techniques and technologies that impact democracy under the guise of ‘public health’.