Exclusion or efficiency: understanding perspectives about AI ethics among charity workers in the United Kingdom

The widespread use of AI tools across society has impacted many different individuals, organizations and stakeholders. The ethical issues that arise are of great focus of academic research, but there is significantly less engagement with the different types of organizations effected, particularly how the charity sector is effected. I conducted a pilot empirical study consisting of semi-structured qualitative interviews with three employees that work in some capacity with data or technology at a charity, from three different charities that operate in the United Kingdom. This work offers insight into the unique challenges and perspectives faced by charities. I found that they view the ethical risk of AI primarily through its ability to be an exclusionary tool, and view the positives of AI primarily through its ability to be an efficiency tool.