Hardware is an AI Ethics Problem: Expert Visions for a Sustainable and Equitable Semiconductor Industry

Research from arXiv highlights that the semiconductor industry, fundamental to AI systems, faces significant social, environmental, and geopolitical challenges. These issues have often been studied in isolation, but a participatory workshop with experts revealed their high interdependence. The study aims to provide an integrated socio-technical understanding of these interconnected challenges and potential pathways.

Why it matters

The interdependence of social, environmental, and geopolitical factors within the semiconductor industry directly impacts the future development and ethical deployment of AI. A lack of integrated strategic planning across these dimensions could lead to significant systemic risks and hinder sustainable technological progress.

Key insights

• The semiconductor industry, as the base for AI, is impacted by critical social, environmental, and geopolitical factors.
• Previous research examined these issues in disciplinary silos, leading to a gap in integrative understanding.
• A participatory futuring workshop with experts from academia, industry, and policy demonstrated the high interdependence of these challenges.
• Participants envisioned interconnected socio-technical pathways linking current frictions to normative goals.

Source

arXiv — Computers and Society — https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.07830