Value Pluralism in the AI Ethics Debate - Different Actors, Different Priorities

In the current debate on the ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) much attention has been paid to find some "common ground" in the numerous AI ethics guidelines. The divergences, however, are equally important as they shed light on the conflicts and controversies that require further debate. This paper analyses the AI ethics landscape with a focus on divergences across actor types (public, expert, and private actors). It finds that the differences in actors' priorities for ethical principles influence the overall outcome of the debate. It shows that determining "minimum requirements" or "primary principles" on the basis of frequency excludes many principles that are subject to controversy, but might still be ethically relevant. The results are discussed in the light of value pluralism, suggesting that the plurality of sets of principles must be acknowledged and can be used to further the debate.