A Critical Look at AI Ethics: From Emerging Concerns and Guiding Principles to Ethical Unveiling

Abstract

In this article, I examine the current state of the “second wave” of ethics in artificial intelligence (AI), which focuses on the integration of fundamental ethical principles such as justice, privacy, transparency, and explicability in the design, use, and implementation of AI systems. I argue that although this phase has been criticized for its abstract nature and lack of contextualization, it is imperative that the emerging “third wave” adopts a paradigmatic change towards an “ethical unveiling.” I propose that this ethical unveiling should involve a deep and ongoing hermeneutic process that not only interprets how AI technologies reconfigure our social, political, and personal structures but also acts as a means of liberation from the technological framing in the Heideggerian sense. This approach suggests that ethics should not only be considered as an add-on but as an essential and fundamental component in the lifecycle of AI development, thus promoting a deeper integration of ethical considerations that guide both technological innovation and its practical implementation.