Betty Li Hou ’22 was a Computer Science & Engineering major and Math minor and is a 2021-22 Hackworth Fellow at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Views are her own.
“‘You were going to kill that guy!’ ‘Of course. I’m a Terminator.’” Lines like this from the 1991 James Cameron film Terminator 2: Judgment Day presented a dark warning for powerful, malicious artificial intelligence (AI) [1]. While a cyborg assassin traveling back in time has not yet become a major concern for us, what has become apparent is the multitude of ways in which AI is used on a global scale, and with it, the risk of both direct and indirect negative effects on our political, economic, and social structures. From social media algorithms, to smart home devices, to semi-autonomous vehicles, AI has found its way into nearly every aspect of our everyday lives. With this new realm of technology, we must thoroughly understand and work to address the risks in order to navigate the space and use the technology wisely. This is the field of AI ethics, specifically AI safety.
Read "A Multilevel Framework for the AI Alignment Problem."
View Betty's project presentation
About Betty Li Hou
"Betty Li Hou '22 graduated with a Computer Science & Engineering major and Math minor. She has been passionate about STEM since a young age and always been eager to take on projects or learn new skills. Since coming to SCU, she has started to think more about the impacts of technology and the responsibilities of a computer scientist, beyond just being technically skilled. As a Hackworth Fellow, she looked forward to studying the ethics of artificial intelligence. AI is becoming increasingly powerful, so it is more important than ever that it is thoroughly analyzed and regulated. In the future, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in computer science and continue to attack the big ethical questions surrounding how technology impacts society and individuals.
At SCU, she was a part of ACM, ACM-W, Theta Tau, UHP, as well as the Treasurer of Tau Beta Pi. She also did undergraduate research on deep learning. In her free time, she likes to play badminton, boulder, draw, and coach at local badminton academies."