I’ve worked in tech long enough to know that every time something is sold as “new” it’s typically an old idea repackaged as “revolutionary”, and that the marketing is probably better than the actual thing.

“Ethical AI” seems to be just another verse in the same song that’s been getting worse year after year.

To be perfectly clear: there is no such thing as ethical AI.

“AI” as it is currently sold is built on intellectual property scraped from millions of people who were never asked, credited, and certainly not compensated for their contributions.

And we in the tech industry are pretending this is fine because acknowledging the truth would force us to confront the damage.

Every one of us must decide what our involvement says about us.

Do we use the tools because they’re convenient? Do we build them because the jobs pay well? Do we turn a blind eye because we don’t see an alternative?

It’s too easy to put distance between ourselves and the exploitation to get through the day without having to change our behavior.

So in my opinion, if you want to talk about ethics and AI, you first have to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that ethical AI is just another label on moral compromise.

In 2025 alone, companies used AI as the excuse for tens of thousands of layoffs even though most of those organizations don’t have AI systems capable of replacing the people they let go.

And the most recent contender for the AI washing crown goes to the trendsetting Block, who cynically expects us to believe that roughly 40% of its workforce can already be fired due to AI instead of owning their bad hiring practices.

So pardon MY cynicism but there isn’t “ethical AI”, there’s AI blanketing a tech industry too comfortable with compromise, powered by exploited labor, and using familiar rationalizations as shields for decisions that hurt real people.

But as The Big Chill taught us (thanks to my friend Michael Bolton who reminded me of this clip):

“Don’t knock rationalization; where would we be without it? I don’t know anyone who could get through the day without two or three juicy rationalizations.”

(This was in part inspired by the courageous and uncompromising Dagmar Monett. Thank you for your integrity…)