Recognizing Principles of AI Ethics through a Role-Play Case Study on Agriculture

Ashish Hingle; Aditya Johri

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session _Monday June 26, 11:00 - 12:30
Tagged Division: Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)
Page Count: 19
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44029
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44029
Download Count: 197

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Paper Authors

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Ashish Hingle George Mason University

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Ashish Hingle (he/him) is a Ph.D. student in the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University. His research interests include technology ethics, interactions and networking in online communities, and student efficacy challenges in higher education. He received his bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and master’s degree in Information Assurance (Cybersecurity – Forensics – Audit) from sunny Cal Poly Pomona.

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Aditya Johri George Mason University orcid.org/0000-0001-9018-7574

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Aditya Johri is Professor of Information Sciences & Technology and Director of Technocritical Research in AI, Learning & Society Lab (trailsLAB) at the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University, USA. He studies how technology shapes learning across formal and informal settings and the ethical implications of using technology. He publishes broadly in the fields of engineering and computing education, and educational technology. His research has been recognized with several best paper awards and his co-edited volume, the Cambridge Handbook of Engineering Education Research (CHEER), received the 2015 Best Book Publication Award from Division I of AERA. Most recently he served as a Fulbright-Nokia Distinguished Chair in ICT at Aalto University, Finland (2021). He is a past recipient of the NSF Early Career Award (2009) and received the University Teaching Excellence Award (2002) and Mentoring Excellence Award (2022) for undergraduate research at George Mason University. His edited volume International Handbook of Engineering Education Research (IHEER) will be published by Routledge in 2023. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences & Technology Design (2007) from Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. More information is available at: http://mason.gmu.edu/~johri

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Abstract

The continual growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture has surfaced concerns about AI ethics, responsibility, trust, and transparency among professionals in the industry and communities impacted by the technologies. Machine learning (ML), improved sensors in an Internet-of-Things (IoT) world, and advanced networking capabilities have vastly expanded the information processing capabilities of farmers and co-ops, allowing for action based on real-time information on yields, pest control, and farming cycles, to name a few benefits. However, these systems can also highlight the problematic nature of technology outgrowing regulation. These technologies introduce the same surveillance and data ownership concerns that continue to be raised with technology in other industries. There is also the question of what role human labor has in the future of agriculture. While previous research has outlined several fundamental topics for the ethical implementation of technology in agriculture, navigating conversations about AI in agriculture with members outside the industry is an ongoing discussion. To explore how these conversations can be raised with college students, we use a collaborative approach to augment students’ thinking about AI ethics in the context of agriculture and farming. This paper uses a content analysis procedure to explore undergraduate engineering and computing students’ recognition of AI ethics principles in agriculture. We describe an exercise using a role-play scenario (RPS) activity and a case study of a fictitious AI-enabled farm to help students make these connections and identify ethical considerations. We collected data from seventy-three (73) students through a written assignment after participating in the RPS activity. Through our analysis, we noted that participants could identify and connect several ethical principles with the contents of the case study. Additionally, all our participants identified transparency, a central theme of the case study, as key to building trust between AI-enabled agriculture and the community. Enabling privacy was another heavily discussed topic across the groups while ensuring that communication was conducted sustainably. Role-plays can effectively engage college students in interdisciplinary conversations, especially for emerging issues such as AI ethics.

Citation
Format

Hingle, A., & Johri, A. (2023, June), Recognizing Principles of AI Ethics through a Role-Play Case Study on Agriculture Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44029

TY - CPAPER
AB - The continual growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture has surfaced concerns about AI ethics, responsibility, trust, and transparency among professionals in the industry and communities impacted by the technologies. Machine learning (ML), improved sensors in an Internet-of-Things (IoT) world, and advanced networking capabilities have vastly expanded the information processing capabilities of farmers and co-ops, allowing for action based on real-time information on yields, pest control, and farming cycles, to name a few benefits. However, these systems can also highlight the problematic nature of technology outgrowing regulation. These technologies introduce the same surveillance and data ownership concerns that continue to be raised with technology in other industries. There is also the question of what role human labor has in the future of agriculture. While previous research has outlined several fundamental topics for the ethical implementation of technology in agriculture, navigating conversations about AI in agriculture with members outside the industry is an ongoing discussion. To explore how these conversations can be raised with college students, we use a collaborative approach to augment students’ thinking about AI ethics in the context of agriculture and farming. This paper uses a content analysis procedure to explore undergraduate engineering and computing students’ recognition of AI ethics principles in agriculture. We describe an exercise using a role-play scenario (RPS) activity and a case study of a fictitious AI-enabled farm to help students make these connections and identify ethical considerations. We collected data from seventy-three (73) students through a written assignment after participating in the RPS activity. Through our analysis, we noted that participants could identify and connect several ethical principles with the contents of the case study. Additionally, all our participants identified transparency, a central theme of the case study, as key to building trust between AI-enabled agriculture and the community. Enabling privacy was another heavily discussed topic across the groups while ensuring that communication was conducted sustainably. Role-plays can effectively engage college students in interdisciplinary conversations, especially for emerging issues such as AI ethics.
AU - Ashish Hingle
AU - Aditya Johri
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Recognizing Principles of AI Ethics through a Role-Play Case Study on Agriculture
UR - https://peer.asee.org/44029
DO - 10.18260/1-2--44029
ER -