How Futures Studies and Foresight Could Address Ethical Dilemmas of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Drawing from ethical concerns raised by communities of machine learning developers and considering predictive analytics’ very short-term predictions, several futures studies techniques are examined to offer some insights about possible bridges between machine learning and foresight. This review develops three main sections: (1) a brief explanation of central concepts, such as big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, hopefully not too simplistic but readable for larger audiences; (2) a discussion about ethical issues, such as bias, discrimination, and dilemmas in research; and (3) a brief description of how futures studies could address ethical dilemmas derived from different time horizons among machine learning immediate results, forecasting short-term predictions, and foresight long-term scenarios.