On Thursday morning, our colleagues from RTL Radio spoke with Katja Rausch, founder of the House of Ethics, a think tank focused on digital ethics.
Rausch emphasised that ethics are neither elitist nor abstract, but are integral to everyday life. “Ethics are about how we live, make decisions, behave, and interact with each other in a transparent and fair manner”, she explained. This principle underpins the mission of the House of Ethics, which provides guidance to businesses and individuals on ethical issues. Rausch clarified that the think tank operates independently of state funding, relying instead on revenue from conferences and corporate consulting.
Rausch also highlighted the growing importance of digital ethics in an era dominated by new technologies and artificial intelligence. She argues that there is an urgent need for an organisation to raise awareness and address the ethical questions technological advancements pose. In this context, she likened the role of the House of Ethics to that of journalism in holding politics accountable.
One area of particular concern for Rausch is ChatGPT, a large language model (LLM) capable of answering a wide range of questions. She criticised the technology for being trained on vast amounts of data scraped from the internet, including copyrighted material produced by artists, journalists, and academics. Rausch also pointed out that much of this data is “stolen” by tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple, describing the practice as “a major ethical problem.”
Rausch further warns that ChatGPT records and stores all user inputs, a fact she believes many people are unaware of. This poses significant risks, she argues, particularly for companies that might inadvertently expose confidential information. Competitors could potentially exploit data to gain insights into sensitive business practices. Similarly, Rausch raised concerns about the use of AI in recruitment and financial services, where applicants could be unfairly evaluated based on their data without understanding the reasons behind such decisions. She urged individuals and organisations to exercise caution when using AI tools.
Rausch highlighted that Europe has robust data protection frameworks in place, including the EU AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and emphasised that these regulations are binding for all EU member states. Additionally, she noted that since February, companies in Luxembourg working with AI are required to provide training to their employees on these matters.
However, Rausch stressed that regulations alone are not enough. She urges individuals to remain vigilant and critical, encouraging them to question how their data is being used and to stay informed about the implications of AI technologies.
