Ethics of AI: Why ‘Neutral’ Machine Intelligence Is a Myth

Philosopher Warns AI Is Far From Neutral—Here’s Why It Matters

German philosopher Rainer Mühlhoff has been vocal about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI). He recently critiqued the myth of neutral AI technology at Baden-Württemberg’s Data Protection Commissioner’s AI Week, arguing that AI should be understood as 'human-supported AI' rather than 'machine intelligence'.

Mühlhoff raised concerns about the lack of human control in AI development and the potential for algorithmic decisions to discriminate. He proposed extending the principle of purpose limitation to trained AI models to prevent their misuse. AI systems, he warned, play a major role in political power and propaganda, enabling new forms of symbolic violence and disinformation. Mühlhoff identified predictive power as the latest form of data dominance, affecting not only those whose data was used but also third parties.

Mühlhoff rejected the idea of AI as a mere tool, asserting that technology actively shapes the purposes for which it is used. He traced the ideological roots of AI elites to transhumanism and longtermism, warning of eugenic, elitist, and anti-democratic tendencies. Large AI systems like ChatGPT, learning from vast datasets, raise significant data protection concerns and impact vulnerable groups like children.

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Consumer Protection Agency sued Meta over its AI training practices but lost the case, according to legal scholar Paulina Jo Pesch. Pesch criticized the ruling and warned of inadequate implementation and erosion of legal protections under the pressure of AI hype.

Mühlhoff's arguments highlight the need for responsible, transparent, and ethically grounded development and use of AI technologies. Despite legal challenges, the ethical concerns and potential misuse of AI remain pressing issues that require ongoing attention and regulation.