Unraveling the role of media professionals in AI ethics & regulations in the PR paradigm

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in a new era for industries globally, and the arena of communication is no exception. The present and forthcoming years are an AI-infused future, so it is of paramount importance that communication professionals leverage and embrace the full potential of AI while navigating its ethical challenges.

AI has been a hot topic for the past couple of years. In the AI-driven landscape, the role of communication professionals is to uphold responsible AI implementation to maintain transparency and credibility. To prioritize creativity and the essence of human interactions in communication, ensuring compliance.

At a time when technology is swiftly advancing, the role of artificial intelligence and communication professionals has never been more pivotal. With the surge of AI integration in numerous sectors, the ethical implications associated with its use have become increasingly significant. A plethora of companies are rapidly integrating generative AI technology to supercharge their productivity since the launch of ChatGPT at the end of 2022.

According to the Forbes Advisor India statistics, it is highly anticipated that AI is expected to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. The astounding progress surrounding AI also comes with one of the foremost ethical concerns, which is data bias. The line between security and surveillance is getting blurred, and that has highlighted the necessity of consent and accountability.

Communication professionals' role in AI ethics is to prioritize data privacy, address bias in AI algorithms, leverage AI’s analytical prowess by enhancing the impact of their communication strategies, view artificial intelligence as a collaborative tool and actively evaluate potential risks associated with AI projects.

The Significance of Communication Professionals & Importance of AI Ethics

Ethical considerations are crucial in AI development and deployment to ensure that AI systems are designed and deployed in a way that benefits society as a whole. There is a growing need for communication professionals with expertise in AI ethics and regulation advocacy to promote responsible AI use and proactively prevent a communication crisis.

Responsibilities incorporate conducting ethical audits of AI systems and developing ethical policies and guidelines. By hiring a competent and seasoned communication professional, companies and startups can ensure that their AI systems are developed and used ethically, maximizing societal benefits and minimizing potential harm.

The domain of AI ethics is still relatively new and rapidly evolving. The lack of established standards and guidelines in the field of AI ethics presents both challenges and opportunities for career growth in the field. Communications specialists can work cross-functionally to evaluate AI-powered services or products to determine if they have ethical risks and champion action to manage them.

Enterprises must also instill AI ethics in those who develop and use AI tools and technologies. Enforced guidelines and processes will ensure the proper usage of artificial intelligence. AI programs that run responsibly should incorporate solid strategies for governance, data privacy, ethics, and safety.

Communication professionals must align their work with ethical standards and not engage in deceptive practices; they need to stay abreast of the latest developments and  should take a strategic approach to their work by committing to transparency and responsible disclosure regarding AI used in communication. Ensuring their organizations abide by data protection laws, regulations, and policies.

The AI Ethics Stakes Keep Getting Higher

The ethics of AI is an imperative topic for many tech giants and researchers. To everyone, from journalists to policymakers and AI researchers themselves, the imperative for regulation seems evident.

AI is not a technology with discrete and bounded applications; rather, it is a technology whose long-term applications are unbounded and therefore unknown. To avoid the pitfalls that overtook other inventions in the past, there needs to be a clear understanding of the limits of AI technology and how to deal with it ethically.

Ethics in AI are vital to the healthy development of all AI-driven technologies. To prevent AI from going rogue and out of control, communication professionals need to implement ethics into the code. Since AI lacks a blend of human empathy and technological fluency,  it leads to misinterpretations or irrelevant responses.

Embracing Change to Seize Opportunities for Innovation & Growth

As AI is increasingly integrated into communication practices, adaptability and agility are vital to staying ahead as we transition towards the AI-driven world of communication.

Embracing ethical and responsible AI is key to mitigating the negative outcomes of automation. While leveraging AI can help deliver resounding growth and productivity benefits, it’s also responsible to recognize the potentially disruptive aspects and risks of the technology as a communication professional.

Beyond transparency and compliance, handling AI in an ethical way can help companies build a longstanding positive reputation in the market, and not to mention the benefit of avoiding the legal and financial consequences that unethical use of AI might present.

Rigorous data protection protocols and constructing an ethical artificial intelligence framework will go a long way toward building trust with the use of AI tech. It is imperative that we prioritize human values and engage in sincere dialogues to effectively harness artificial intelligence’s full potential while safeguarding fundamental human rights and prioritizing ethical considerations in our approach.

Let’s have a look at the Amazon case study that will showcase the ethical ramifications of AI-based technologies. For the hiring process aspect, Amazon attempted to leverage the HR teams using AI recruiting and hiring tools, allowing organizations to take a multitude of resumes and then handpick the optimal ones.

However, in 2015, it was observed that the system had a bias against women in rating candidates for software development and other technical positions. The data utilized to train the system was the cause of this bias. It was trained using applications from the previous ten years, so it could recognize the format of resumes submitted. The majority of those resumes were from men; thus, it reflected male dominance in the tech sector.

Such ethical issues can only be recognized if data and algorithms are fully understood. It is of paramount importance to check the system’s fairness to avoid raising social inequalities.