HOW CAN HUMANS – AND BUSINESSES – BECOME MORE ETHICAL?
The question of how to create ethical artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly raised. Yet it prompts a deeper reflection: have humans themselves mastered what it means to be ethical? Before addressing AI, it is worth considering how well humanity performs in this regard and what can be done to improve.
Are humans truly ethical? The answer depends on how ethics is defined. If ethics means consistently acting according to moral principles, then humans are aspirationally ethical rather than inherently ethical. People generally seek to act in ways guided by fairness, empathy, justice and compassion, but behaviour is often shaped by competing incentives, social pressures and self-interest.
History illustrates both extremes. There has been profound ethical progress, such as the abolition of slavery, the advancement of human rights and care for those beyond immediate kin. Yet there have also been profound ethical failures, including war crimes, exploitation and systemic injustice. Humans possess ethical potential and intention, but practice remains inconsistent.
How can humans become more ethical?
Strengthen moral awareness. Ethical failure often arises from failing to recognise a moral issue rather than from deliberate malice. Training in moral reasoning, as practised in medicine and law, helps individuals identify ethical dimensions in everyday decisions. Ethics education is surprisingly limited in business and schools. Encouraging reflection and pausing before acting can make decisions more deliberate and less impulsive.
Jan-Mar 2026 Issue
GSK