Wednesday, 6th November @ 12:30pm (GMT)
Abstract: Moral machines are designed to make decisions that involve ethical or moral considerations, guided by certain ethical principles. While debates continue about what these ethical considerations should be and how best to clarify them, moral machines for children are even less understood. The principles become particularly complex when choices must be made between respecting children’s preferences or values and upholding their best interests. In this talk, I will draw on our various design and qualitative research experiences with children and families and discuss our research roadmap towards fostering children’s autonomy and agency in the age of AI – a key aspect of moral machines for children. I hope this talk will inspire discussions about what moral machines for children should entail and the challenges of implementing such systems in practice.
About the presenter: Dr Jun Zhao is a dedicated researcher specialising in the impact of algorithm-driven decision-making on everyday life, particularly focusing on families and young children. By employing a human-centred approach, she seeks to understand the needs of real users in order to design technologies that foster tangible, real-world benefits. As the founder of the Oxford Child-Centred AI Design Lab, she collaborates closely with schools, families, and child-focused technologists to address the technological, societal, and regulatory challenges faced by today’s society. A notable member of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI and Ethics initiative in 2019-20, Jun is an advocate for diversity and equality in the critical field of AI research.