  The 4th edition of the Montreal AI Ethics Institute's The State of AI Ethics
captures the most relevant developments in the field of AI Ethics since January
2021. This report aims to help anyone, from machine learning experts to human
rights activists and policymakers, quickly digest and understand the
ever-changing developments in the field. Through research and article
summaries, as well as expert commentary, this report distills the research and
reporting surrounding various domains related to the ethics of AI, with a
particular focus on four key themes: Ethical AI, Fairness & Justice, Humans &
Tech, and Privacy.
  In addition, The State of AI Ethics includes exclusive content written by
world-class AI Ethics experts from universities, research institutes,
consulting firms, and governments. Opening the report is a long-form piece by
Edward Higgs (Professor of History, University of Essex) titled "AI and the
Face: A Historian's View." In it, Higgs examines the unscientific history of
facial analysis and how AI might be repeating some of those mistakes at scale.
The report also features chapter introductions by Alexa Hagerty
(Anthropologist, University of Cambridge), Marianna Ganapini (Faculty Director,
Montreal AI Ethics Institute), Deborah G. Johnson (Emeritus Professor,
Engineering and Society, University of Virginia), and Soraj Hongladarom
(Professor of Philosophy and Director, Center for Science, Technology and
Society, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok).
  This report should be used not only as a point of reference and insight on
the latest thinking in the field of AI Ethics, but should also be used as a
tool for introspection as we aim to foster a more nuanced conversation
regarding the impacts of AI on the world.
