AI Ethics Principles for Earth Science

My goal with this module is for us to identify a set of principles/values that we feel AI developers for the Earth Sciences should follow.  This will be one of the group writing assignments for the semester as well.  The way it will work is that we will do a bunch of reading (we already have in the previous two modules but also in this one!) and then we will discuss the ideas in class and then we will make a class proposal of a set of values & principles for AI for the Earth Sciences.  We will then re-visit this list after we work through some of the upcoming modules.  By the end of the semester, we should have a clear set of values and principles as well as justification for each.  I would like to publish this on this website as well as potentially as a paper (with all of the students as co-authors!) depending on how refined we make the final list.

I do have an initial set of proposed values, which will show up when we do the in-class discussion.  To start this module, we will jump into current and proposed AI ethics frameworks and then into the small number of existing AI Ethics framework for Earth Sciences.

Note, I created the graphic on the right using chatGPT by asking it for a graphic representing human and Earth centered design.  I thought what it came up with was fun and will help get our creative ideas going!  

Human And Earth Centered Design

Graphic from ChatGPT and it added this text: “Here is the graphic representing human and earth-centered design. It captures the essence of humanity intertwined with natural elements and urban development, symbolizing a harmonious relationship between human progress and environmental sustainability.”