AI Ethics

from Unit4 Communications March 8, 2024 | 6 min read

At Unit4, we're always exploring the latest innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) across the enterprise resource planning (ERP) space.

Our recent podcast with AI ethics expert, Lia Neves, offers valuable guidance on incorporating ethical principles into our AI development processes, ensuring our approach is both responsible and forward-thinking.

In our conversation with Lia, we talked through a range of critical issues and insights, focusing on current challenges, such as how ingrained biases within AI models can lead to discriminatory outcomes, perpetuating the marginalization of unrepresented communities and worsening existing inequalities.

Lia underscored the necessity of advocating awareness of these biases to inform ethical AI development. This includes rigorous testing, transparency, accountability, and diversity, within development plans.

Lia emphasized how combining disciplines, backgrounds, and perspectives enriches AI implementation and ethical consideration. Gender diversity within AI development teams, for instance, is crucial for bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the table, ensuring a more equitable and inclusive AI future.

Despite the challenges outlined, there is optimism for the future and AI's role in positively transforming our lives and the future of work, while respecting ethical principles and fostering responsible governance.

Unit4 recognizes AI's transformative potential and the importance of ethical considerations in its development. While exploring the boundaries of innovation, we are committed to understanding and integrating ethical and responsible practices in our approach to AI, stressing our people-focused implementation of tech.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and the achievements of women in AI, let's remember the importance of representation, diversity, and education in shaping a future where AI benefits all sectors of society.

We invite you to watch the full podcast to delve deeper into our conversation with Lia and explore the ethical considerations of AI.

Inspiration4U: AI Ethics with Lia Neves

(IWD Special)

Watch it now

Explore below for further insights into our approach to AI and additional resources recommended by Lia:

Previous Unit4 articles

Embracing AI: understand the end user first (computerweekly.com)

Full automation and AI tools; a vision of the future (erp.today)

Resources shared by Lia:

Ai Portugal 2030 - National Strategy For AI: https://oecd.ai/en/dashboards/policy-initiatives/http:%2F%2Faipo.oecd.org%2F2021-data-policyInitiatives-24270
Algorithmic Justice League: https://www.ajl.org/
AlgorithmWatch: https://algorithmwatch.org/en/
Artificial intelligence act: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/12/09/artificial-intelligence-act-council-and-parliament-strike-a-deal-on-the-first-worldwide-rules-for-ai/
BAIR: https://bair.berkeley.edu/blog/
Center for Humane Technology: https://www.humanetech.com/
EU's Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025: https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/items/682425/en
Generative AI and jobs: A global analysis of potential effects on job quantity and quality: https://researchrepository.ilo.org/esploro/outputs/encyclopediaEntry/995326516102676
Global Gender Gap Report 2023 https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2023/
Microsoft’s 2023 Diversity and Inclusion Report: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/annual-report?activetab=innovation-spotlights%3aprimaryr4
MIT News: https://news.mit.edu/topic/artificial-intelligence2
Mostly Human Media: https://mostlyhuman.com/
The state of AI in 2023: Generative AI’s breakout year: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-state-of-ai-in-2023-generative-ais-breakout-year
Women in AI: https://www.womeninai.co/

Lia’s Neves bio

Lia Neves works at the intersection of technology, business, and social sciences. Her training in Philosophy (Degree at FLUC-UC, Portugal) and Public Health (Master's at FMUL-UC, Portugal), together with her concern for societal challenges, have encouraged her to combine research with various positions in industry.

She is an associate member of the Center for Biomedical Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra (UC, Portugal) and founded a project called EITIC, where she focuses on ethical issues. In addition, she has led social impact initiatives, co-facilitating the WebSummit 2023 Masterclass - 'The equality trap and the paradox of meritocracy', and the Masterclass at WebSummit 2022 on 'Allyship: beyond DEI'.

Lia was recognized in December 2023 at the Women in AI Ethics Annual Summit, and in 2023 at Microsoft's offices in New York as one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics™ for 2024.