On the 27th of October 2022, Professor Mrinalini Kochupilai, guest professor working on AI ethics at the Future Lab AI4EO, conducted an Interview with the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of their funding for International Future Labs for Artificial Intelligence. The interview discussed the ethical issues throughout the different stages of the AI4EO research. Professor Kochupilai answered questions regarding the schematic tool she and her team are developing to understand the lifecycle of data employed in the AI4EO application and their research into supporting various UN Sustainable Development Goals, thus making their work application specific. This is achieved through testing dominant ethical theories from different parts of the world onto AI4EO technologies. This work requires interdisciplinary research between AI4EO and researchers working in agroecology and sustainable agriculture. She further explains her background in philosophy and how she applies this knowledge to study the ethical implications of new technologies; however, an obstacle in her work is the limited content regarding ethics. For this reason, Professor Kochupilai stresses the need for a change in culture within institutions whereby directors focus on ethics to ensure that these principles become integrated within AI4EO research.
