The Ethical Project

The final project for Humanities was just around the corner, and although we had agreed to work together from the start, the lack of time and accumulated exhaustion made everything seem more complicated than expected. We met at a café near campus to discuss our topic and divide the tasks. Olivia, as always, had big ideas and boundless enthusiasm, but this time her proposal left us somewhat perplexed.

"Listen to this," Olivia said as she opened her tablet and showed us an interactive presentation she had prepared. "Is it ethical to use artificial intelligence in medicine? It's a controversial, modern, and perfect topic to impress the professor."

Sack frowned, crossing his arms.

"Artificial intelligence in medicine? I don't know, Olivia. It sounds too technical for an ethics course. Besides, I don't think we know enough about the subject to do it well."

"Exactly," I added, nodding. "We might get into trouble if we don't fully understand the concepts. Maybe we should choose something simpler, like ethical dilemmas in traditional healthcare."

Olivia huffed, clearly offended by our lack of enthusiasm.

"Come on, guys. Ethics in artificial intelligence is the future. Plus, I've already researched everything. Look at this." She swiped her finger across the screen and showed us a series of graphs and key points she had organized. "We can talk about how AI can save lives, but also about the risks of bias in algorithms and patient privacy. It's deep, relevant, and, most importantly, interesting."

Sack and I exchanged a glance. Though the idea was risky, Olivia was right: the topic was fascinating. Besides, her presentation was so convincing that it was hard to say no.

"Alright," I said finally. "I think we can give it a try. But we'll have to research a lot to make sure we fully understand the topic."

"And we'll need to divide the tasks," Sack added. "If we're going to do this, we need to be efficient."

Olivia smiled triumphantly.

"I knew you'd see the light. Now, listen to my master plan…"

Before she could continue, an unknown student approached our table. He was tall, with thick glasses and a nervous expression.

"Excuse me, are you Olivia?" he asked, pointing at her.

"It depends," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Who's asking?"

"I'm Lucas, from Organic Chemistry. I was told you're good at explaining difficult concepts. I'm stuck on a problem about nucleophilic substitution reactions, and I thought maybe you could help me."

Olivia sighed dramatically but agreed.

"Fine, Lucas. Sit down. But I warn you, my time is valuable."

The student sat across from her, and Olivia quickly pulled out her laptop. She began drawing diagrams and writing equations, explaining the problem with absurd analogies.

"Imagine the carbon is a waiter in a very busy restaurant," she said, pointing to one of the compounds on the screen. "The waiter has a tray full of drinks, but a new customer comes in and asks for something else. So, the waiter has to decide whether to drop a drink to take the new one or keep carrying everything until he collapses. That's basically what's happening here."

Lucas blinked, surprised.

"Wow… I've never thought about it like that. You're right! I get it now."

Sack and I exchanged an impressed look.

"I didn't know you could explain organic chemistry as if it were a theater play," Sack commented, laughing.

"I'm multifaceted," Olivia responded, closing her laptop. "Now, let's get back to the project before I become the official campus tutor."

After Lucas left, we resumed our conversation. We decided to divide the tasks based on our strengths. I would handle writing the ethical part of the project, while Sack would create graphs and mathematical models to support our arguments.

"I think I can use some statistical data about the use of AI in hospitals," Sack said, taking notes on his digital notebook. "We could compare the accuracy of diagnoses made by humans versus those made by machines."

"Good idea," I replied. "And I'll focus on the moral dilemmas. For example, what happens if an AI makes a mistake that endangers a patient? Who's responsible: the programmer, the doctor, or the machine itself?"

"Exactly," Olivia said, nodding enthusiastically. "And I'll handle the conclusion. It'll be epic, like the climax of a movie. Everyone will remember this project because of my contribution."

"Sure, Olivia," Sack said, rolling his eyes. "Just make sure you don't fall asleep while working."

Olivia pretended to be offended.

"Sleep? That's for the weak. Besides, I already have it all planned. My conclusion will be so brilliant that the professor will give us a standing ovation."

However, barely a few minutes later, Olivia rested her head on her tablet and started softly snoring. Sack and I laughed silently as we continued working.

Later, when Olivia woke up, we were almost done with our parts. I watched Sack as he reviewed his graphs on his laptop. He seemed absorbed in his work, moving columns of data and adjusting colors in the graphs.

"Hey, Sack," I said, leaning toward him. "What do you think about using a prediction model based on conditional probabilities? It could help us show how AI decisions vary depending on the context."

Sack looked up, thoughtful.

"It could work, but we'd need more specific data. Do you think you could find a case study that mentions contextual variables? For example, how does an AI's behavior change in different countries or healthcare systems?"

"Good idea," I replied, making a mental note. "I'll look for some examples. I could also add a section about how cultural biases affect AI decisions."

"Perfect," Sack said, nodding. "And I can add that data to the graphs. Maybe I'll use a heat map to represent regional differences."

"I like it," I said, smiling. "This is going to be solid."

Olivia, who had just woken up completely, interrupted us with a dramatic yawn.

"Oh, please! If you're going to get all technical, warn me so I can put on headphones. Although, to be honest, I'm proud of you two. Even if you're being way too obvious."

Sack and I laughed, unable to contain ourselves.

"Well, thanks for your contribution, Olivia," I said, smiling. "Even if it's just to keep us entertained."

"You're welcome," she replied, winking at me. "Now, let's get back to work. This project is going to be legendary."