Early stage “technology ethics teams” are about optics and not reality. In the early stages of a new technology the core ethics lies in the hands of very small

Early stage “technology ethics teams” are about optics and not reality. In the early stages of a new technology the core ethics lies in the hands of very small teams or often individuals. If those handling the core direction decide to unleash irresponsibly, it’s done. Significant harm can be done by one person dealing with weapons of mass destruction, chemical weapons, digital intelligence, etc. It’s not wrong to have these teams, but the truth is that anyone working with the technology needs to be treated like they are on an ethics team, not build an “ethical group” who’s supposed to proxy the responsibility for doing it the “right way.” Self-directed or self-aware AI also complicate this situation immeasurably, as having an ethics team presents a perfect target for a rogue AI or bad actor. You’re creating a “trusted group” with special authority for something/someone to corrupt. Not wise to create privileged attack surfaces when working with digital intelligences.