The world is riveted by the dramatic developments in the global AI race. China’s DeepSeek has taken the tech world by storm with groundbreaking advancements on a shoestring budget, while the US has launched the audacious Stargate initiative, promising $500 billion in infrastructure investment. These headlines are reshaping conversations about what global dominance in AI means, who is positioned to achieve it, and the infrastructure needed to support it.
But amid all this, there’s an urgent question that’s not being asked enough: What principles are guiding the development of these powerful systems?
At the Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative (EWDCI), we believe that the foundation of AI lies not just in its infrastructure or computational power, but in the integrity of the data that fuels it. Without ethical guidelines, we risk creating systems that amplify bias, undermine privacy,prioritize profit over people—and cause real-world harm.
Ethical AI Starts with Ethical Data
Ethical web data collection is the first step towards ensuring that AI systems are fair, transparent, and aligned with societal values. Here’s why this matters:
Transparency and Trust: AI models rely on vast amounts of web data. If this data is collected without transparency or respect for user rights, it erodes public trust. Ethical data collection strives to comply with privacy laws as well as provide clarity in how that data is used—striking a balance between privacy rights and legitimate business interests.
Bias and Fairness: Poorly curated or non-representative data can lead to AI systems that perpetuate discrimination or inequity. This is exacerbated when the blame is shifted from the AI’s creators and deployers to the algorithm itself. Ethical practices, such as disparity testing and representative sampling, are essential to combat algorithmic bias.
Privacy Protections: As the race for AI dominance heats up, the temptation to cut corners on best practices around privacy will grow. Ethical guidelines ensure that individuals’ rights are protected and that data collection practices are accountable. Being first across the finish line is only one milestone, and probably not the most important in the long run.
Global Standards for Collaboration: The AI race is a high-stakes competition among individual companies and state actors, but its impact is global and universal. International standards for ethical data collection can prevent misuse and foster equitable access to AI benefits across borders.
Don’t Lose Sight of the Bigger Picture
While the news focuses on infrastructure and funding, the ethical foundations of AI deserve equal attention. Who decides what data powers these systems? How is it collected, and how will it be used? These questions have profound implications for the technology’s impact on society.
The principles we champion at EWDCI—transparency, fairness, privacy, and accountability—are not just abstract ideals. They are practical frameworks to guide policymakers, businesses, and researchers in creating AI systems that work for everyone.
The Stakes Are Too High to Ignore Ethics
As the AI race accelerates, the risks of ignoring ethical data collection grow. AI has the power to revolutionize industries and solve complex problems—but only if it’s built on a foundation of trust and integrity. Without that, we risk amplifying existing inequalities and creating systems that harm more than they help.
DeepSeek and Stargate are reminders of the high stakes in the global AI competition. But they’re also a call to action: Let’s not lose sight of what matters most—ensuring that AI serves humanity in a humane way.
At EWDCI, we are committed to advocating for ethical data practices that prioritize transparency, fairness, and global collaboration. Because no matter how fast this race moves, the guiding principles behind it will shape its impact for decades to come.
Join the Conversation
We invite policymakers, researchers, and the public to engage with us on the importance of ethical web data collection. Together, we can work towards making sure that the AI race is not just about power and profit, but about progress—for everyone.
About EWDCI + i2Coalition
The Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative (EWDCI) seeks to foster cooperation in the web data collection and aggregation industry and leverage collective first-hand knowledge and insights to advocate for beneficial technical standards and business best practices regarding the aggregation of data. The EWDCI is dedicated to serving as the voice of the industry, collaboratively strengthening public trust in the practice of data aggregation, promoting ethical guidelines, and helping businesses make informed data aggregation choices.
The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) is the leading voice for web hosting companies, data centers, domain registrars and registries, cloud infrastructure providers, managed services providers, and related tech. The i2C works with Internet infrastructure providers to advocate for sensible policies, design and reinforce best practices, help create industry standards, and build awareness of how the Internet works. The i2Coalition also spearheaded the creation of the VPN Trust Initiative, which determined and promoted best practices for that vital industry.