AWS CEO discusses machine learning ethics at AWS reInvent

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been heavily focused on machine learning over the past few years, releasing a number of products and features which showcase how effective the technology can be for organisations and consumers. But while the technology – much like its parent artificial intelligence – can do a lot of good, there are always questions about what this means in the long-term for humanity, both in terms of a reduction in jobs but also in terms of how these products and services can be used for unethical reasons. In a press Q&A last week at AWS reInvent in Las Vegas, AWS CEO Andy Jassy fielded several questions about how the company intends to ensure its machine learning capabilities are used ethically by customers. In response, Jassy cited use cases such as reducing human trafficking and reuniting children with parents where machine learning has already had a positive influence. However, he acknowledged that people may use machine learning for the wrong reasons too.