Humans and Machines – Challenges of Artificial Intelligence

An English translation will be available in due course.

Published: 20 March 2023

The German Ethics Council examines how digital technologies, and in particular artificial intelligence (AI), affect human self-conception and interactions. Based on a philosophical consideration of central concepts such as intelligence, reason, action and responsibility, the Ethics Council looks at the complex interactions between humans and technology as well as societal effects resulting from the increasing digital penetration of human life. In the view of the Ethics Council, the key question for an ethical evaluation is whether human authorship and the conditions for responsible action are expanded or diminished by the use of AI. In the Opinion, the Council addresses this question in four exemplary areas – medicine, schools, public communication and the shaping of public opinion, and public administration.