G6

• The San Francisco-based Open AI group introduced 'GPT-2', a large-scale unsupervised language model in February 2019
• Open AI adopted a cautious strategy by releasing versions of GPT-2 gradually
• Open AI released smaller, less complex versions of GPT-2 before the full version
• The release of GPT-2 by Open AI in 2019 was a major turning point for the natural language processing community
• GPT-2 was trained on a 40 GB dataset scraped from the internet
• The dataset for GPT-2 was chosen based on a Reddit karma score of more than 3
• Open AI proceeded cautiously with the introduction of GPT-2 due to concerns about potential misuse
• Open AI decided against releasing the whole version of GPT-2 initially
• Open AI added to the dataset and offered a more thorough model as the release went on, up to the complete release in November 2019
• The release of GPT-2 sparked intense debates in the AI and open-source communities
• The release of GPT-2 raised concerns about the duty of AI developers to ensure the moral application of their innovations
• The ethical issues arising from the release of GPT-2 by Open AI encompass potential misuse, societal impact, and responsible deployment of advanced language models
• The foremost ethical concern is the potential misuse of GPT-2 for generating deceptive, biased, or abusive content at scale
• GPT-2 could be harnessed to manipulate public opinion, exacerbate social divisions, or engage in malicious activities such as phishing or spam campaigns
• Language models like GPT-2 reflect biases present in the data on which they are trained
• Biases in training data could lead to the generation of discriminatory or prejudiced content
• Deploying models like GPT-2 could result in reinforcing harmful stereotypes, discriminatory language, or exacerbating existing inequalities
• Unintentionally favouring one gender in the hiring process

  Makes it harder for everyone to get a fair shot at job opportunities
• Unintended consequences of deploying models in real-world scenarios

  • Reinforcing harmful stereotypes
  • Discriminatory language
  • Exacerbating existing inequalities
• Concerns about information integrity and trust with the release of GPT-2

  • The risk of synthetic content being perceived as genuine
  • Potential health risks and spread of misinformation
  • Challenges in discerning between authentic and generated information
  • Erosion of trust in online content
• Equal access and digital divide concerns


  • Questions of equal access to advanced language models
  • Potential exacerbation of the digital divide
  • Unequal distribution of benefits across demographics and regions
  • Widening of the digital divide
• Lack of distinguishing fact from fiction with GPT-2


  • The model does not inherently distinguish fact from fiction
  • Risk of creating convincing but entirely fictional stories
  • Emphasis on careful and responsible use
• Navigating ethical issues with GPT-2

  1. Requires a careful and balanced approach

  2. Involves ongoing scrutiny, transparency, and collaboration among developers, policymakers, and the wider public
• Stakeholders in the release of GPT-2


  • AI research community
  • Consumers of online material
  • Policymakers
  • Businesses or individuals with potential malicious intent
• Stakeholders must have their interests properly taken into account

  To find a balance between promoting technical advancement and guaranteeing appropriate deployment
• Ethical frameworks for evaluating the release of GPT-2

  • Rights Perspective
  • Justice Considerations
  • Utilitarianism
• Rights Perspective


  Emphasizes the rights of individuals to access advanced technology versus the right to be protected from potential harms
• Justice Considerations

  • Examines whether the benefits and risks of GPT-2 are distributed equitably
  • Addresses justice concerns by gradually expanding access
• Utilitarianism

  • Evaluates actions based on their overall consequences
  • Aims to maximize overall happiness or well-being
• Disproportionate burdens or unequal benefits


  Reflect broader societal disparities
• Staged release strategy

  Attempt to address justice concerns by gradually expanding access
• Utilitarianism

  Evaluates actions based on their overall consequences, aiming to maximize overall happiness or well-being
• Ethical evaluation in the context of GPT-2

  Weighing potential benefits against risks, including advancements in research and development and generation of deceptive or harmful content
• Full release of GPT-2 aligns with a utilitarian perspective


  Seeks to maximize positive outcomes while mitigating negative consequences
• Common Good


  Considers the impact of actions on society as a whole
• Common Good lens prompts reflection on the release of GPT-2

  Contributes positively to the advancement of language models and research in artificial intelligence, benefiting the broader scientific community
• Virtue Ethics


  Focuses on character traits and moral virtues cultivated by individuals and organizations
• Ethical evaluation through the lens of Virtue Ethics


  Considers alignment with virtues such as responsibility, transparency, and commitment to societal well-being
• Virtue Ethics lens prompts reflection on motivations and intentions behind the release of GPT-2


  Demonstrating virtues that contribute to ethical decision-making
• Care Ethics


  Emphasizes the importance of relationships and empathy in ethical decision-making