Artificial intelligence is computer programming that has the ability to learn and adapt to its surroundings. It cannot solve every problem, but its potential to improve our lives is significant. At Hekate, we use AI to make products more useful — by creating from analytics and process management tools with data, to digital assistants talking to you naturally.

We recognize that artificial intelligence technology is gradually becoming the core technology of the future. Therefore, businesses are asking equally powerful questions about its application into real life. How AI is developed and used will have significant impacts on society in the next few years. As a leader in the field of AI, we feel a deep responsibility to get this right.

That is why we established seven principles to navigate our work in building artificial intelligence in the future. These specific standards will actively govern our product research and development and influence on our business decisions.  

7 Hekate’s Ethical Principles

Hekate always adheres to ethical principles in creating artificial intelligence products, including:

1. Socially beneficial.

The expanding scope of new technologies has increasingly touched society as a whole. As we consider the development and potential use of AI technology, we take into account a range of social and economic factors, and proceed when we believe the overall benefits can be substantial beyond the foreseeable risks and downsides.

AI also enhances the ability to make sense of content at scale. We will strive to provide high-quality and accurate information by using AI. While we continue to respect cultural, social, and legal norms in the countries in which we are in operation. And we will continue to carefully evaluate when to make our technologies available on a non-commercial basis.

2. Avoid creating or reinforcing unfair biases.

AI algorithms and datasets can reflect, reinforce, or reduce unfair biases. We recognize that distinguishing fair from unfair is not always straightforward and it varies across cultures and societies. We will try to avoid unwarranted effects on people, especially those related to sensitive issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, income, sexual orientation, political or religious abilities and beliefs.

3. Crafted and tested for safety.

We will continue to develop and apply strong safety and security measures to avoid undesirable results, creating problems of harmful risks. We will design our AI systems and seek to develop them according to best practices in AI safety research. Where it makes sense, we will test AI technologies in limited environments and monitor their performance after deployment.

4. Be responsible for everyone.

We will design AI systems that provide opportunities to help people thrive and improve their lives. Our AI technologies will be completely directed and controlled by humans.

5. Incorporate privacy design principles.

We will incorporate our privacy principles in the development and use of our AI technologies. We will provide not only opportunities to inform and encourage architectures that have privacy protections, but also transparency and appropriate controls over data usage.

6. Promote the best standards and scientific research.

Technological innovation is rooted in the scientific method and commitment to open inquiry, intellectual seriousness, integrity and collaboration. We aim to achieve high standards of scientific excellence during our way to advance the development of AI.

We will work with a wide range of stakeholders to foster thoughtful leadership in the field, based on scientifically rigorous and multidisciplinary approaches. And we will responsibly share AI knowledge by publishing educational materials, best practices, and research that enable more people to develop useful AI applications.

7. High applicability.

Many technologies have multiple uses. We will work to limit potentially harmful or abusive apps. As we develop and implement AI technologies, we evaluate usability based on the following factors:

• Main purpose of use: The primary purpose and usability of a technology and application, including the relevance of the solution or its adaptability to harmful use

• Nature and uniqueness: Whether we are making available technology that is unique or generally available

• Scalability: Will the use of this technology have a significant impact?

Along with Hekate’s employee engagement efforts, we have established an official review structure to evaluate new projects, products, and deals. Thoughtful decisions require careful and nuanced consideration of how the AI Principles (intentional at a high level to allow flexibility as technology and circumstances evolve) should be applied, how to balance when principles conflict and how to minimize the risk under any circumstances. The assessment structure consists of three core groups:

• An innovation team is responsible for handling daily operations and initial assessments. This team includes  full-time and part-time user researchers, social scientists, ethologists, human rights experts, privacy and policy advisors, and legal professionals, leading the diversity and inclusion of perspectives and disciplines.
• A team of senior experts from various fields as technology partners, who provide expertise in technology, functionality and applications.
• A board of senior executives to handle the most complex and challenging issues, including decisions affecting multiple products and technologies.

Beyond the above goals, Hekate will not design or implement AI in the following application areas:

1. Technology that causes or is likely to cause overall harm. In the event of a risk of serious harm, we will proceed only when we believe the benefit substantially outweighs the risk and will incorporate appropriate safety constraints.
2. Weapons or other technologies whose primary purpose or performance is to cause or directly injure a person.
3. Technologies that collect or use information for surveillance violate internationally accepted standards.
4. Technology whose purpose is contrary to generally accepted principles of international law and human rights.

Even though this is how Hekate chooses to approach AI, we understand that this journey needed more involvement. As AI technology evolves, we will work with a range of stakeholders to foster leadership in the field, based on scientifically rigorous and multidisciplinary approaches. And we’ll continue to share what we’ve learned to improve AI technologies and practices.

The variety and range of applications considered to date is helping us build a framework to extend this process across Hekate products and technologies. This framework will include the establishment of an external advisory group, consisting of experts from various fields with the purpose to complement the internal governance and processes outlined above. We are committed to promote thoughtful consideration of these important issues and appreciate the work of the many groups contributing to the review process, as we continue to refine our approach.

We, at Hekate, believe that, with the mission of “Bringing artificial intelligence to everyone”, we will bring AI into all aspects of life in the most natural and useful way, helping to improve everyone’s life.

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