AI Ethics

1. Why AI Ethics Matters

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of everyday work, business, research, communication and decision-making. With that opportunity comes responsibility.

At Free-Will.pl, AI is treated as something to examine rather than something to worship. We are interested in what works, what does not work, what can be improved and where apparently clever systems produce surprisingly poor results.

2. Our Approach

Our approach to AI ethics is practical rather than ceremonial. We do not assume that adding the word "AI" automatically makes an idea innovative, useful or responsible.

AI systems should be examined in the same way as other tools: by looking at their assumptions, limitations, consequences, incentives and real-world performance.

3. Core AI Ethics Principles

The following principles guide our thinking when developing, analysing or publishing AI-related ideas.

4. Human Oversight

AI can generate text, analyse information, identify patterns, automate processes and support decisions. It can also make mistakes while sounding completely certain.

For this reason, human oversight remains important whenever an AI-generated result can materially affect a person, organisation, financial decision, legal position, security situation or other significant outcome.

• Review important AI-generated information.
• Verify critical facts and sources.
• Do not blindly follow automated recommendations.
• Maintain the ability to override automated decisions.
• Escalate uncertain or high-risk cases to qualified people.

5. AI Can Be Wrong

One of the most important practical limitations of modern AI systems is that they can generate convincing but incorrect information.

AI output may contain factual errors, fabricated references, incorrect calculations, incomplete reasoning or misleading conclusions.

Where accuracy matters, information should be independently verified using reliable sources, documentation, calculations or qualified human expertise.

6. Privacy and Personal Data

AI systems can process large amounts of information, which makes responsible data handling particularly important.

We support minimising unnecessary collection and disclosure of personal information when using AI tools.

• Do not provide sensitive information to an AI system unnecessarily.
• Understand how an AI provider may process submitted information.
• Use appropriate access controls.
• Limit data collection to legitimate purposes.
• Consider retention and deletion requirements.

Personal data processed through Free-Will.pl is addressed in more detail in our Privacy Policy and Data Protection information.

7. Bias and Fairness

AI systems learn from data and are influenced by the information, assumptions and objectives used to create them.

As a result, AI may reproduce or amplify existing biases. Responsible use therefore requires more than assuming that an automated system is neutral simply because a computer produced the result.

Where appropriate, AI systems should be tested for unreasonable disparities, unexpected behaviour and potentially discriminatory outcomes.

8. AI Security

AI systems introduce their own security challenges, including malicious inputs, prompt manipulation, data leakage, unauthorised access and misuse of automated capabilities.

Security should therefore be considered throughout the lifecycle of an AI system rather than added after deployment.

• Limit access to AI systems and sensitive information.
• Monitor unusual or potentially malicious behaviour.
• Separate sensitive systems from unnecessary AI access.
• Test automated workflows before relying on them.
• Maintain human intervention for high-risk operations.

9. Responsible Automation

Automation can reduce repetitive work and increase productivity. However, automation should not be treated as an objective in itself.

Before automating a process, it is worth asking whether the process should exist in its current form at all.

We therefore encourage examining the underlying workflow before introducing AI or automation.

10. High-Risk Uses of AI

Some applications of AI require substantially greater caution because mistakes may have serious consequences.

Examples may include:

• Financial decision-making.
• Medical or health-related decisions.
• Legal decisions.
• Employment and recruitment decisions.
• Security and surveillance.
• Critical infrastructure.
• Systems affecting fundamental rights.

In such situations, appropriate human oversight, testing, documentation, risk assessment and legal compliance should be considered before deployment.

11. AI-Generated and AI-Assisted Content

Some materials published on Free-Will.pl may be created, researched, edited or assisted using artificial intelligence.

AI assistance does not automatically mean that the resulting material is accurate, original, complete or suitable for every purpose.

Where relevant, AI-generated material may be reviewed, edited or verified before publication.

12. Originality and Attribution

AI systems can produce material that resembles existing works, ideas or expressions. Using AI does not remove the responsibility to respect copyright, intellectual property and attribution requirements.

When publishing AI-assisted material, reasonable care should be taken to avoid presenting another person's protected work as original material.

13. Experimentation and the Workshop Principle

Free-Will.pl is intentionally a workshop. Some AI-related ideas published here may be experimental, unfinished or deliberately provocative.

Publishing an idea does not necessarily mean that it is being presented as a finished product or recommended solution.

The purpose is to expose ideas to analysis, criticism and real-world testing.

14. Criticism Is Part of the Process

We welcome constructive criticism of AI concepts, models and assumptions published on this website.

Errors should be identified rather than hidden. A correction is generally more valuable than an unnecessary defence of an attractive idea.

Where a significant error is identified, we may update, correct or remove the relevant material.

15. No AI Hype for Its Own Sake

Not every problem requires artificial intelligence.

A spreadsheet, database, search engine, simple script, checklist or human conversation may sometimes be better, cheaper, safer and easier to understand than an AI system.

We prefer useful systems over impressive demonstrations.

16. Accountability

Responsibility should remain understandable when AI is involved in a process.

Organisations and individuals using AI should know who is responsible for the system, who can intervene, how problems are reported and what happens when the system fails.

• Define responsibility before deployment.
• Document important automated processes.
• Maintain appropriate monitoring.
• Provide a way to report problems.
• Review systems when circumstances change.

17. Ethics Is an Ongoing Process

AI technology changes quickly. Ethical questions therefore cannot be solved once and then permanently archived.

New models, capabilities, regulations, threats and applications can introduce new risks.

Our approach is therefore based on continuous review rather than a claim of having a perfect or final ethical framework.

18. The Principle Behind the Workshop

Free-Will.pl is interested in what happens when ideas leave the theoretical stage and meet reality.

AI is no exception.

We will experiment with it, question it, use it, criticise it and sometimes discover that an apparently brilliant idea was not as brilliant as expected.

That is the practical meaning of AI ethics here.