Research Ethics in the Age of AI: Embracing Openness as a Path ForwardOnline Event

Tuesday 15 Oct 2024, 09:00 → 12:30 Europe/Berlin

Online

Workshop - Research Ethics in the age of AI: Embracing Openness as a Path Forward

As artificial intelligence increasingly permeates various domains of research, it brings forth a host of new ethical considerations and challenges that researchers must navigate. Research Ethics in the age of AI is a central topic, where openness emerges as an integral part of the solution. 

The aim of this workshop is to gather valuable input, insights, and experience from AI practitioners across Helmholtz, encompassing the perspective of researchers as well as an organizational perspective. We would like to paint a picture of the status quo with regard to the responsible use of generative AI in research at Helmholtz, be it best practices, present expertise, challenges, or hurdles, in order to identify areas where further efforts and exchange within the Helmholtz community are necessary. 

The 3,5 hour workshop will kick off with an introduction into the topics of good scientific practice, ethics,  and AI guidelines. In the hands- on workshop session, we will narrow the focus and delve into more practical aspects of research integrity when using generative AI by looking at the “Living guidelines on the responsible use of generative AI in research”. This part will be driven by participant input and exchange, which will be followed by a wrap-up of the key takeaways. Please find the timetable here.

Following the event, a comprehensive summary of the core findings will be compiled to be presented and further explored at the upcoming Helmholtz Incubator Workshop in November 2024.

This workshop is jointly organised by the Helmholtz Open Science Office and Helmholtz Information & Data Science Academy (HIDA).

Target group

This workshop wants to bring together the AI expert community within Helmholtz and the Helmholtz Information & Data Science platforms. We targets researchers of all career stages, but also users and decision makers with regard to generative AI from the Helmholtz centers.

This workshop is open for participants with Helmholtz affiliations only!

Speakers

We have five inspiring speakers setting the stage through keynotes and short impulses. Please follow this link to find short biographies and useful information.

 

	Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Karin Lochte Central Ombudsperson Helmholtz Association
	Dr. Katrin Frisch  Researcher German Research Ombudsman
	David Arranz Policy Officer 'AI in Science' DG RTD, European Commission
	Dr. Michael Schmuker Head of Unit Information & Data Science Helmholtz Head Office
	Theresa Willem AI ethics consultant Helmholtz AI & Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, TUM School of Medicine and Health

09:00 → 09:10 Opening

Speakers: Lea Maria Ferguson (Helmholtz Association, Helmholtz Open Science Office), Stephanie Schworm (HIDA)

09:10 → 09:25 Welcome address

In order to make AI a useful fool for science, all actors involved have to contribute: -political actors to provide appropriate legal frameworks, -research organisations to develop guidelines and train their staff, -researchers to keep up with the latest developments in AI technology, indicate when AI was used in their output and always remain honest in research. But what is good, honest science? These questions are the core of ethics of science and rules to good scientific practice. The emergence of AI presents new challenges to both, partly because completely new fields of violation of good scientific practice emerge and partly because it is not easy to detect any misuse. Therefore, AI guidelines have to be linked to the rules for good scientific practice and for ethics in science. Training of staff and advice on best practices is essential as well as being alert to new developments.

Speaker: Karin Lochte (Zentrale Ombudsperson der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft)

09:25 → 09:50 Ensuring Research Integrity in the Age of AI: Recommendations, Trends, and Challenges

With the introduction of free and easy-to-use generative AI applications like ChatGPT, Bard/Gemini or Perplexity, their use among researchers has exploded in the span of less than two years. According to recent studies, between 54% and 76% of researchers have already used AI. Just as swift as the uptake of AI was the emergence of fears and concerns about its effects on matters of integrity, ethics, and honesty within the context of higher education and science. While at first the focus lay on student use of AI, it has increasingly shifted to researchers and the question of what good research practice looks like in the age of AI. In this presentation, I will approach AI from a research integrity perspective and devote myself to the following questions: where does consensus exist? What still needs to be settled? And what are going to be persistent challenges?

Speaker: Katrin Frisch (German Research Ombudsman)

09:50 → 10:15 Guidelines in the use of Generative AI in Research

The guidelines focus on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research, and has been developed in collaboration with the countries and stakeholders in the European Research Area Forum.
These guidelines emphasize the importance of ethical considerations, transparency, and accountability in the use of generative AI in research activities. They flag challenges and provide simple recommendations for ensuring that generative AI tools are used in ways that uphold scientific integrity, safeguard privacy, and promote public trust.
The guidelines provide recommendations for researchers, research organisations and funders to foster an environment where AI can contribute positively to scientific progress while mitigating risks associated with bias, misuse, and ethical concerns.
The guidelines are designed to fit and align with the broader EU framework on AI, ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of responsible AI innovation in science.

Speaker: David Arranz (European Commission)

10:15 → 10:25 Helmholtz’s recommendations for the use of AI in research and administration

In summer 2024, a committee from across the Helmholtz association has developed recommendations for the use of AI in Helmholtz. This document is intended to provide guidance to users of AI in research and administration. Its main intent is to highlight opportunities and point out risks inherent to the use of AI tools. The current version is the first instance of a “living document”, to be continuously updated to cater to developments in the field. As Germany’s largest research organization, Helmholtz has the ambition to lead the way in the application of AI services for research and administration.

Speaker: Michael Schmuker (Helmholtz Association)

10:25 → 10:35 Ethical Implications of Generative AI in Scientific Research

The adoption of generative AI (genAI) to create scientific content carries significant risks for multiple stakeholders both on the input and the output level. On the input level, the scraping of copyrighted data used for genAI training and the unpaid labor hidden beneath can harm data and intellectual property owners. On the output level, the potential spread of misinformation, fraud, and the reinforcement of systemic biases can have detrimental consequences for individuals and society at large. This impulse highlights these concerns and provides us with ethical considerations to keep in mind for our workshop.

Speaker: Theresa Willem (Helmholtz AI - Consultants, Piraud Group)

10:35 → 10:50 Short break

10:50 → 12:20 Workshop Session

This hands-on workshop session is based on the “Living guidelines on the Responsible Use of AI in Research”, using a world-café setting. Three virtual tables will host a deep dive into the guidelines through guided discussions and exchange of experience, capturing different perspectives on the topic. We will use miroboards for documentation.

Speakers: Lea Maria Ferguson (Helmholtz Association, Helmholtz Open Science Office), Steffi Genderjahn (Helmholtz Open Science Office), Stephanie Schworm (HIDA)

Living Guidelines on the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Research

12:20 → 12:30 Joint discussion & Wrap-up

Speakers: Lea Maria Ferguson (Helmholtz Association, Helmholtz Open Science Office), Steffi Genderjahn (Helmholtz Open Science Office), Stephanie Schworm (HIDA)