Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This isn't a bad article as these articles go, so I hope the authors forgive me for using it as a stalking horse for some of my ongoing complaints about articles dealing with ethics and AI. First of these is the almost near-universal focus on 'issues' and 'concerns' and general attitude of making sure Nothing Bad Happens. That's not what ethics is; the lawyers have robbed us of our spirit. Second is the generic nature of the recommendations. You could substitute almost anything for 'AI' and get the same recommendations. Eg., "Provide clear instructions and methods for using emojis as part of the creative or communication process." Or "Integrate critical emoji and media literacy skills into course design." An article on 'AI ethics' should focus on what's unique about AI, and not just be a stand-in for all our previous thoughts about ethics.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Jan 12, 2026 4:48 p.m.

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