Episode #61: Unpacking the Ethics of AI in Education w/Stephen Downes

In Episode #61 of Simon Says: Educate!, Geoff Cain interviews Stephen Downes, Researcher at the National Research Council Canada and pioneer of Connectivism and the modern MOOC. Stephen examines nine commonly cited AI ethical principles and makes the case that what gets labeled "ethical" in AI policy is often a reflection of political perspectives and underlying assumptions rather than genuine consensus.

The conversation covers the contested nature of foundational principles like fairness, transparency, and accountability, and why each one dissolves under scrutiny into competing values rather than universal ethics. Stephen introduces the cultural and contextual variability of AI guardrails, the dominance of risk-based ethics in education policy, and feminist Duty of Care theory as a largely overlooked alternative framework. The episode also explores a compelling medical AI case study to illustrate why a working technology is not automatically an ethical one.

This episode is a must-listen for educators, instructional designers, and administrators who read AI ethics frameworks and want sharper tools for questioning the assumptions baked into them.

Shownotes: On Ethical AI Principles

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