Ethical Use of AI - Isn't that an Oxymoron?

I once taught in a very challenging school in Dorset . I took some students on a mountain bike ride and my route went through the local estate. One of my bikers disappeared and it turned out he had been mugged. Some on one had come up to Lee, punched him and ridden off on "his" bike. Phoning Lee's parents was a bizarre experience as they seemed to show no concern whatsoever. It turned out that Shane, another of my students was the thief. A brief summary of my conversation with Shane.

Shane why did you steal Lee's bike?

I didnt steal it I sold it to him and he hadn't paid me so I was getting it back

Where did you get it from Shane?

Well I nicked it but I then sold it to him and he hadn't paid me 

SO it wasn't really your bike to sell was it Shane? 

Yes it was mine and he hadn't paid me!

I was reminded of this conversation when hearing how upset an AI company was that another AI company had 'stolen' it's data in order to train it's own AI.  Where had the original data come from? An ethically at best dubious, at worst theft scraping of data from the internet. So I can ask the AI to write me a song in the style of Taylor Swift or a Banksy like image the AI will do that and often brilliantly. However the original artists felt nothing financially nor any credit. Are there parallels to Shane's moral compass and that of the tech bros? 

Another issue is the environmental impact. A single internet search not using AI transfers around 1000 Joules that will keep a 5 Watt  LED bulb lit for 400 seconds or around 6 ½ minutes. AI currently is massively less efficient. To answer a query it creates something using insane number of calculations - It's like firing up a power station to run a calculator so a single average AI search could run that bulb for over an hour. Google and Microsoft are investing in Nuclear Power stations for massive data centres. The environmental impact will be huge. 

So why do we do this? 

Simply AI will transform almost everything within society and if our young people are not equipped for the change they will not be able to compete. We also feel that AI use is inevitable and that people need to understand the ethical and environmental impact of AI. 

 

These are  our Social Enterprise Statements, Goals and Focus 

We are registering as a Social Eneterprise and also will be operating under a CIC (non-profit)  Wales

What is a Social Enterprise? 

The primary focus of a social enterprise is to achieve a positive social impact by balancing financial sustainability with a clear social or environmental mission, reinvesting profits back into the community to address social issues rather than distributing them to shareholders; essentially, prioritising social good alongside commercial activity. 

 

 Mission Statement

"Empowering educators, students, and communities to navigate the complexities of AI with confidence, critical thinking, and ethical responsibility. Through education, advocacy, and innovation, we equip learners to harness AI's potential while safeguarding against misinformation, misuse, and bias."

Vision Statement

A world where AI is used ethically, transparently, and effectively to enhance education and empower individuals with the knowledge to critically engage with emerging technologies.

Core Goals

1. Counter Misinformation & Misuse of AI: Educate students and educators on recognisingAI-generated misinformation, deepfakes, and biased outputs.
2. Build Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Teach students to evaluate AI-generated information with a sceptical and analytical mindset.
3. Maximise AI's Potential for Learning & Teaching: Train teachers to use AI effectively for lesson planning, differentiation, and personalised learning.
4. Ensure AI is Used Ethically in Education: Advocate for AI policies in schools that prioritise fairness, transparency, and data privacy.

 

Key Areas of Focus

1. Student AI Literacy & Critical Thinking: AI misinformation detection, AI literacy modules, interactive AI learning.
2. Teacher Training & AI for Efficiency: AI for lesson planning, personalised learning, and administrative efficiency.
3. Public Engagement & Misinformation Prevention: Public awareness campaigns, community training, media partnerships.
4.  Policy Advocacy & Ethical AI Implementation: AI ethics guidelines, AI safety frameworks, policy consulting.

We are available for face to face meetings as well as online support. One off sessions or extended to fully integrate AI into your schools