The Cloudburst Group formed an AI working group in April 2023 to evaluate whether and how artificial intelligence technologies could be used for the benefit of all people. This working group rigorously assessed a set of AI tools that could help solve complex problems for vulnerable populations and marginalized communities, such as chronic homelessness, fair housing discrimination, and environmental mitigation and monitoring. At the center of this inquiry was an assessment of whether we could use AI in a way that reflected Cloudburst’s values and ethics.
The AI working group sought answers to these questions:
- If we use AI, how can we do so ethically and safely?
- How can AI be used to root out the many layers of discrimination that exist in our society?
- Can we build AI standards of use that embody our passion for racial justice, equity, and inclusion?
- Can we teach AI how to solve some of society’s pressing problems like ending homelessness in the United States or environmental mitigation and monitoring measures?
- How do we build confidence in the solutions AI offers and root out biases?
- How do we assess the risks associated with data derived from AI, and understand the intellectual property and plagiarism issues that underlie it?
- How do we ensure Cloudburst and our clients’ intellectual property is secure and our staff’s privacy maintained while using our AI technologies.
After more than a year, we still have questions. But what we are certain of is:
- We have no interest in using AI to replace staff members, but instead to expand our team’s capabilities and imagination when it comes to working with our clients to solve complex problems.
- We have no interest in using AI to generate images and text from derivative works.
- We won’t use AI in a way that perpetuates bias and or discrimination.
- We are as mindful as ever that AI-generated content needs to be validated and confirmed for accuracy prior to use.
Today the AI working group is addressing these questions to create standards of use and an infrastructure that upholds our ethics and safeguards our intellectual property, and we are honored to have clients who appreciate our commitment to patiently assessing and exploring if and how this tool can be used not only for our benefit, but for good.
How is your organization using AI to promote good in the world? What were your priorities when determining how to use AI within your organization? What are potential uses of AI that your organization is cautious of?