The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: A Sociological Approach

Abstract

Background: to create effective mechanisms for state regulation of potential moral challenges caused by the widespread introduction of artificial intelligence technologies, it is of practical interest to study the attitude of society to this problem. The purpose of the work is a sociological analysis of the attitude of the Russian society to the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies. Materials and methods: A comprehensive analysis of data from open access databases of All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion was carried out. The materials of sociological surveys for the period 2007 to 2023 were used. Data weighted by socio-demographic parameters. Results: The majority of respondents believe that AI cannot completely replace humans (78 %). The greatest fears of the population (noted by 50–65 % of respondents) are associated with the loss of personal data and violation of privacy boundaries, the loss of personal responsibility for erroneous actions. Every third noted the risks of violation of civil rights and social guarantees ("increases inequality", "violates the balance of interests of society and the individual"), potential ethical problems ("artificial intelligence has no morals and ethics" – 32 %). Conclusion: Distrust of AI technologies is associated with an understanding of the social risks of their integration and an awareness of the loss of human values of communication, creativity, and individuality. Particular risks in this context are presented for social institutions of education and healthcare, where the loss of interpersonal communication calls into question the manifestation of empathy, sympathy and compassion.