'AI Literacy Mandatory by 2025, but Ethics is Crucial'

'AI Literacy Mandatory by 2025, but Ethics is Crucial'

11/21/2024 - 13:40

From February 2025, the AI Act will require companies to ensure their employees are AI-literate, meaning staff working with AI must understand its principles and functionality. While businesses may handle this training internally or seek external support, Oscar Bastiaens, Lecturer in philosophy of technology and ethics at Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), highlights an often-neglected aspect: AI ethics.
Data Science & AI
  • Expertise

“Knowing how AI works does not automatically help employees identify ethical dilemmas,” says Bastiaens. “AI introduces significant challenges around bias, autonomy, and environmental impact—issues frequently overlooked. It’s critical that training programmes not only teach AI skills but also prepare individuals to handle ethical questions and use AI responsibly.”

At BUas, AI is both an academic focus and a strategic organisational priority. The university aims to ensure that all its staff and students can work with AI effectively while recognising and addressing ethical challenges. To achieve this, BUas is designing its own training modules that integrate AI literacy with ethical awareness.

Preparing for AI literacy means acknowledging the ethical dimension as an integral part of training.

Disclaimer: The header image was created using AI.