Ethics in the AI era: why education is more important than bans

Progress in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapid - and ethical issues are growing with it. Cornelia Diethelm, an expert in digital ethics, entrepreneur and head of studies at the HWZ, emphasizes: "We don't need new ethics - we need a critical application of existing values."

In conversation with podcast host Christoph Soltmannowski, the topics include data protection, deepfakes and discrimination. Digital violence through deepfake technologies is particularly drastic, affecting up to 98 % women, according to Diethelm. "This is about real violations of personal rights," says the expert.

Competence instead of alarmism

Instead of bans, Diethelm advocates greater digital literacy among the population. AI is a tool - the decisive factor is who uses it and how. Companies should take responsibility, politicians should define clear principles and users should understand what AI can - and cannot - do.

Cornelia Diethelm sees the EU as an important driving force with the planned AI Act. In Switzerland, on the other hand, the focus is on principles-based approaches and voluntary standards - a pragmatic approach that is only effective if companies actively participate.

Humanity as a guiding principle

Technology should support, but not replace. "Empathy, care, closeness - these are human qualities that machines cannot provide." This difference must remain clear, especially in care, education and consulting.

Conclusion: Conscious design

Cornelia Diethelm is convinced that AI brings opportunities - but also responsibility. Only if we take ethical principles seriously and promote broad education will we be able to achieve socially sustainable digitalization.

The video podcast "AI and Society - Paths into the New World" is produced by the Swiss Text Academy, which also offers courses on artificial intelligence in its Prompt Engineering program. Two episodes are published monthly, on Spotify  Youtube  and other podcast platforms.