Understanding ethical issues of emerging AMI technologies in Europe (A Framework)

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is an information technology approach that is interactive, sensitive and responsive to a user’s environment. Emerging AmI technologies are intended to be intelligent and intuitive to a user’s needs and therefore embedded into a user’s everyday life without so much as being obtrusive. However, with any emergent technology such as AmI, ethical concerns arise. It would be desirable to have a better understanding of future technological developments, and in this case, AmI technological developments in order to allow ethical considerations to influence design and implementations of the technologies. However, the unavoidable contingency of future developments provides a fundamental limit to what we can know about the future. With this, this paper attempts to explore how this problem can be addressed by providing a framework of technical developments which include AmI technology developments that one can reasonably expect to materialise in the medium term future of 10 to 15 years and ethical issues that are currently expected to arise within the European Union (EU). This is done by analysing current European research funding documents with a view to exploring the trends, purposes, applications, artefacts, ethical issues, and governance structures that the European Commission foresees. The overall aim of the paper is to provide the conceptual basis of this framework

Ethical issues and pervasive computing

There is a growing concern both publicly and professionally surrounding the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and their social and ethical impact. As these technologies become increasingly pervasive and less visible to the user, there is a greater need for professionals to address the concerns in order to regain public trust and maximise the benefits that these technologies can bring. This chapter explores the ethical aspects of the world of pervasive computing and shows the need for an ethical perspective when considering the design and implementation of complex, integrated, multiple systems. We present the background to ethics and technology to give the foundation for our discussion, and refer to current research and ethical principles to provide the argument for ethical consideration. Finally, codes of professional conduct provide the standards, and endorsement, for professional responsibility

Ethics of Emerging Information and Communication Technologies - On the implementation of responsible research and innovation

Open Access articleResearch and innovation in emerging technologies can have great benefits but also raise ethical and social concerns. The current discourse on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a novel attempt to come to conceptual and practical ways of dealing with such concerns. In order to effectively understand and address possible ethical and social issues, stakeholders need to have an understanding of what such issues might be. This paper explores ethical issues related to the field of emerging information and communication technologies (ICTs). Based on a foresight study of ICT that led to the identification of eleven emerging technologies, we outline the field of ethical and social issues of these technologies. This overview of possible problems can serve as an important sensitising device to these issues. We describe how such awareness can contribute to the successful deployment of responsible practice in research and innovation

Future technologies: The matter of emergent ethical issues in their development.

Ethical issues in technologies are usually identified when a technology has already been developed. Little consideration is given to ethical issues as they emerge from technologies being developed. This can be disadvantageous on a number of fronts, not least because an opportunity to avoid or correct any pitfalls as future technologies and applications come to life could have been avoided. Needless to say, a better understanding of ethical issues as future technologies emerge can be beneficial to influencing the design and eventual implementation of future technologies. Arguably, projecting any future, let alone that of technologies is challenging. However, borne out of a project with a mandate to look at emerging technologies and ethical issues in ICT applications (ETICA) especially in Europe, this paper outlines how the ETICA project has began carrying out this mandate by initially developing a conceptual framework of future technologies with a view to outlining subsequent emerging ethical issues. This outline is undertaken by looking at likely future technological developments that are expected to materialise in the next 10 to 15 years in Europe. Although a European landscape and perspective offers a starting point in projecting future technologies and their ethical issues, the ETICA project hopes that its findings will resonate to some degree at a global level where good practice might be learnt and shared because future technologies and their ethical issues will no doubt be cross-cutting just as present and already existing technologies are. This paper and ETICA’s work is relevant for the conference because it not only aims to discuss likely future technological development but goes a step further to look at the subsequent ethical issues that are likely to arise as well. The awareness of ethical issues as future technologies are being developed is equally important because developers become alert and sensitive to users needs not only as they plan the technologies but also during the process of development right up to implementation. Such awareness has the potential to avoid or lessen major ethical pitfalls when a technology is fully developed and in operatio

Identifying ethical issues during the development of a computer vision based AmI system: A case study.

AmI applications are normally embedded in a user’s environment and everyday objects. As much, as such applications might add value to our everyday life, there are also ethical concerns that need to be considered particularly in the early stages of AmI application’s design and development. Considering ethical issues at such an early stage of development may help to avoid and perhaps even eliminate potential problems once an application is ready for its target audience. This paper examines a case study of the development of an AmI application. The application under development is computer vision based system for person tracking and occupancy and fall detection with a long term goal of building a system with an automated mobility assessment capability. This application is used as a basis to discuss potential ethical concerns within the technical development process

Identifying ethical issues during the development of a computer vision based AmI system: A case study.

AmI applications are normally embedded in a user’s environment and everyday objects. As much, as such applications might add value to our everyday life, there are also ethical concerns that need to be considered particularly in the early stages of AmI application’s design and development. Considering ethical issues at such an early stage of development may help to avoid and perhaps even eliminate potential problems once an application is ready for its target audience. This paper examines a case study of the development of an AmI application. The application under development is computer vision based system for person tracking and occupancy and fall detection with a long term goal of building a system with an automated mobility assessment capability. This application is used as a basis to discuss potential ethical concerns within the technical development process

A review of contemporary work on the ethics of ambient assisted living technologies for people with dementia

Ambient assisted living (AAL) technologies can provide assistance and support to persons with dementia. They might allow them the possibility of living at home for longer whilst maintaining their comfort and security as well as offering a way towards reducing the huge economic and personal costs forecast as the incidence of dementia increases worldwide over coming decades. However, the development, introduction and use of AAL technologies also trigger serious ethical issues. This paper is a systematic literature review of the on-going scholarly debate about these issues. More specifically, we look at the ethical issues involved in research and development (R&D), clinical experimentation, and clinical application of AAL technologies for people with dementia and related stakeholders. In the discussion we focus on: 1) the value of the goals of AAL technologies, 2) the special vulnerability of persons with dementia in their private homes, 3) the complex question of informed consent for the usage of AAL technologies

The TECHNOLIFE project:an experimental approach to new ethical frameworks for emerging science and technology.

This paper presents the development of an experimental methodology for empirical and participatory ethics of science and technology. It is designed to detect, understand and mediate public concerns. Science and technology evolve rapidly as a result of their internal dynamics as well as the optimization of subsidy for research and innovation in recent times. Ethical frameworks for governing these developments are confronted with considerable tensions in mediating the velocity of new innovations while securing more robust institutional guarantees in order to manage and regulate in time. We argue that existing frameworks need to evolve to become more sensitive to the diversity of technological and societal challenges, of envisioning futures, and of what counts as legitimate concerns. For this reason, we give socio-technical imaginaries a key role in developing an ethical framework. Our experimental approach is seeking to establish criteria for mediating a wide range of public opinion in ways that can become embedded in legitimate, institutional procedures. Our methodological approach is also seeking to mediate between lay ethics and the discourse of professional ethicists, recognizing the fragmented character of both. We draw on theoretical constructs in current STS research, notably, those dealing with complex relations between communities, real or imagined, and the rise of new publics whose voices can be distilled and heard through mediating channels. This experimental methodology forms the central component of an ongoing European Union FP7-funded project, TECHNOLIFE

Addressing governance and ethics in European technology development projects through scenarios

Failures to consider the ethical aspects of technology development and design have resulted in significant negative impacts on individuals over the last decade. In consequence we have seen the emergence and growing interest in technology design movements such as “value sensitive design” and “privacy by design” aimed at specifically addressing issues of social and ethical impact. However, there is still a long way to go in raising awareness of ethical issues in technology design. This paper presents research undertaken as part of the European co-funded project “EGAIS’ which addresses precisely this issue of ethics consideration in technology development. A key component of the awareness raising initiative in technology design is the use of scenarios to prompt thinking across a range of stakeholders, and with this in mind the authors conducted a workshop at this IFIP Summer School using a scenario to stimulate discussion and promote ‘context aware’ thinking. A summary of the discussions, key points, and suggestions for further work are included here

Pursuing perspectives on ambient intelligence.

This paper takes a broad perspective on ambient, intelligent technologies in the context of contemporary European society at the turn of the 21st century. The underlying ideas and expectations of ambient intelligence in a period when Europe focuses progressively on the various social, economic, and ethical challenges facing the Information Society are discussed. The use of information and communication technologies in different organizational and economic settings are explored, with an illustrative focus on eHealth. It is particularly argued that more space, effort and facilities need to be created for a public social and ethical debate among European‟s citizens with regard to information and communication technologies development