Ethical Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Expert Discussion
On July 14, the Valdai Discussion Club’s Moscow venue hosted a discussion titled “Ethical Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Artificial intelligence has become a key driver of human development. Advanced AI systems and access to computing power are increasingly emerging as primary resources for geopolitical influence. In the 21st century, the future belongs to those who control AI technologies. As a result, private companies with access to vast data and sophisticated algorithms are now acquiring influence comparable to that of nation-states. Rapid technological progress is deepening inequality—not only between corporations and individuals, but also among entire states and societies on opposite sides of the “digital divide.” In response to this crisis, several important texts have appeared, most notably Alex Karp and Nicholas Zamiska’s The Technological Republic and Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica humanitas. While the former reads as a manifesto from the AI industry, calling for a radical reconfiguration of relations between the private tech sector, society, and the state, the latter offers an ethical counter-manifesto, emphasising the need to preserve human nature, dignity, and solidarity in the face of the algorithmic age. What ethical dilemmas does the algorithmic era pose? What answers can humanity offer? Is it possible to slow technological progress? Where might the “red lines” in AI development lie? How do the perspectives of the state, public institutions, and AI developers diverge—and where do they converge? Speakers: Ekaterina Tikhomirova, Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Ontology, and Theory of Knowledge, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI Arvind Gupta, Chairman and Co-Founder, Digital India Foundation (India) (online) Xue Ying, Research Fellow, Xinhua Institute (China) Evgeny Kuznetsov, Futurist, Co-founder of Digital Evolution Ventures Moderator: Anton Bespalov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club
On July 14, the Valdai Discussion Club’s Moscow venue hosted a discussion titled “Ethical Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Artificial intelligence has become a key driver of human development. Advanced AI systems and access to computing power are increasingly emerging as primary resources for geopolitical influence. In the 21st century, the future belongs to those who control AI technologies. As a result, private companies with access to vast data and sophisticated algorithms are now acquiring influence comparable to that of nation-states. Rapid technological progress is deepening inequality—not only between corporations and individuals, but also among entire states and societies on opposite sides of the “digital divide.” In response to this crisis, several important texts have appeared, most notably Alex Karp and Nicholas Zamiska’s The Technological Republic and Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica humanitas. While the former reads as a manifesto from the AI industry, calling for a radical reconfiguration of relations between the private tech sector, society, and the state, the latter offers an ethical counter-manifesto, emphasising the need to preserve human nature, dignity, and solidarity in the face of the algorithmic age. What ethical dilemmas does the algorithmic era pose? What answers can humanity offer? Is it possible to slow technological progress? Where might the “red lines” in AI development lie? How do the perspectives of the state, public institutions, and AI developers diverge—and where do they converge? Speakers: Ekaterina Tikhomirova, Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Ontology, and Theory of Knowledge, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI Arvind Gupta, Chairman and Co-Founder, Digital India Foundation (India) (online) Xue Ying, Research Fellow, Xinhua Institute (China) Evgeny Kuznetsov, Futurist, Co-founder of Digital Evolution Ventures Moderator: Anton Bespalov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club