From Computer Ethics and the Ethics of AI towards an Ethics of Digital Ecosystems

open access articleEthical, social and human rights aspects of computing technologies have been discussed since the inception of these technologies. In the 1980s this led to the development of a discourse often referred to as computer ethics. More recently, since the middle of the 2010s, a highly visible discourse on the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) has developed. This paper discusses the relationship between these two discourses and compares their scopes, the topics and issues they cover, their theoretical basis and reference disciplines, the solutions and mitigations options they propose and their societal impact. The paper argues that an understanding of the similarities and differences of the discourses can benefit the respective discourses individually. More importantly, by reviewing them, one can draw conclusions about relevant features of the next discourse, the one we can reasonably expect to follow after the ethics of AI. The paper suggests that instead of focusing on a technical artefact such as computers or AI, one should focus on the fact that ethical and related issues arise in the context of socio-technical systems. Drawing on the metaphor of ecosystems which is widely applied to digital technologies, it suggests preparing for a discussion of the ethics of digital ecosystems. Such a discussion can build on and benefit from a more detailed understanding of its predecessors in computer ethics and the ethics of AI

The need for responsible technology

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Developing Responsible Research and Innovation for Robots

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.This paper develops a framework for responsible research and innovation (RRI) in robot design for roboticists from a study of the processes involved in the design and engineering of a range of robots including standard manufacturing robots, humanoid robots, environmental scanning robots and robot swarms. The importance of an iterative approach to design, the nature of transitions between design phases, and issues of uncertainty and complexity are examined for their ethical content. A cycle of RRI thinking based on reconnoitre, realisation, reflection, response and review is described which aligns with the general characterisation of robot engineering processes. Additionally the importance of supporting communities, knowledge bases and tools for assessment and analysis is noted

IT for a better future how to integrate ethics, politics and innovation.

Summary of the ETICA project from a perspective of responsible research and innovationPurpose The paper explores future and emerging information and communication technologies. It gives a general overview of the social consequences and ethical issues arising from technologies that can currently be reasonably expected. This overview is used to present recommendations and integrate these in a framework of responsible innovation. Design / methodology / approach The identification of emerging ICTs and their ethical consequences is based on the review and analysis if several different bodies of literature. The individual features of the ICTs and the ethical issues identified this way are then aggregated and analysed. Findings The paper outlines the 11 ICTs identified. Some of the shared features that are likely to have social relevance include an increase in natural interaction, the invisibility of technology, direct links between humans and technology, detailed models and data of humans and an increasing autonomy of technology that may lead to power over the user. Ethical issues include several current topics such as privacy, data protection, intellectual property and digital divides. New problems may include changes to the way humans are perceived and the role of humans and technology in society. This includes changing power structures and different ways of treating humans. Research limitations / implications The paper presents a piece of foresight research which cannot claim exact knowledge of the future. However, by developing a detailed understanding of possible futures it provides an important basis for current decisions relating to future technology development and governance. Practical implications The paper spells out a range of recommendations for both policy makers and researchers / industry. These refer to the framework within which technology is developed and how such a framework could be designed to allow the development of ethical reflexivity. Social Implications The work described here is likely to influence EU policy on ICT research and technology reseach and innovation more broadly. This may have implications for the type of technologies funded and broad implications for the social use of emerging technologies. Originality/value The paper presents a novel and important broad view of the future of ICTs that is required in order to inform current policy decisions.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 230318

Teaching ethical reflexivity in information systems

Teaching ethics to students of information systems (IS) raises a number of conceptual and content-related issues. The present paper starts out by developing a conceptual framework of moral and ethical issues that distinguishes between moral intuition, explicit morality, ethical theory and meta-ethical reflection. This conceptual framework demonstrates the complexity of the field and can be used to categorise different concerns and discourses. The paper then proceeds to discuss ethical issues that can be expected to arise from novel developments in information and communication technologies. These give rise to a set of recommendations, which are aimed at policy makers as well as ICT industry and professionals. The paper concludes by suggesting that the task of IS education is to develop ethical reflexivity in students. Such reflexivity will be required to provide the conceptual complexity and intellectual openness that will be needed to react appropriately to novel challenges.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° [230318]

Responsible Innovation Ecosystems - Ethical implications of the application of the ecosystem concept to artificial intelligence

open access articleThe concept of innovation ecosystems has become prominent due to its explanatory power. It offers a convincing account of innovation, explaining how and why innovation pathways change and evolve. It has been adopted to explain, predict, and steer innovation. The increasing importance of innovation for most aspects of human life calls for the inclusion of ethical and social rights aspects into the innovation ecosystems discourse. The current innovation ecosystems literature does not provide guidance on how the integration of ethical and social concerns into innovation ecosystems can be realised. One way to achieve this is to draw on the discussion of responsible research and innovation (RRI). This paper applies RRI to the innovation ecosystems discourse and proposes the concept of responsible innovation systems. It draws on the discussion of the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) to explore how responsible AI innovation ecosystems can be shaped and realised

The obituary as bricolage: the Mann Gulch disaster and the problem of heroic rationality

Claudio Ciborra was one of the leading and independent thinkers in the area of information systems. This paper argues that his work can be interpreted as part of the critical stream of research in the area. It uses Ciborra’s account of a catastrophic incident to critically reflect on commonly held assumptions about management and rationality in computing. The conceptual contribution of the paper which was published in Europe’s leading IS outlet, is that it establishes the close affinity between phenomenological research and the critical tradition.This paper discusses Claudio Ciborra's critique of traditional economic rationality. It recounts his account of the Mann Gulch Disaster. The important aspect of his reading of the disaster is that apparently irrational actions may provide appropriate solutions for complex problems. He bases this observation on a phenomenology-inspired understanding of the world which emphasises Dasein's characteristic as being-in-the-world. The paper interprets this as an important contribution to the critique of rationality as put forward by critical research in information systems. However, this phenomenological approach also produces difficulties due to its difficulty of dealing with intersubjective understanding and problems of self-application. The paper concludes by suggesting that such difficulties can be overcome by appropriating Cibora's idea of bricolage and that this special issue may be read as an expression of such collective bricolage

Responsible Data Governance of Neuroscience Big Data

Open access article.Current discussions of the ethical aspects of big data are shaped by concerns regarding the social consequences of both the widespread adoption of machine learning and the ways in which biases in data can be replicated and perpetuated. We instead focus here on the ethical issues arising from the use of big data in international neuroscience collaborations. Neuroscience innovation relies upon neuroinformatics, large-scale data collection and analysis enabled by novel and emergent technologies. Each step of this work involves aspects of ethics, ranging from concerns for adherence to informed consent or animal protection principles and issues of data re-use at the stage of data collection, to data protection and privacy during data processing and analysis, and issues of attribution and intellectual property at the data-sharing and publication stages. Significant dilemmas and challenges with far-reaching implications are also inherent, including reconciling the ethical imperative for openness and validation with data protection compliance and considering future innovation trajectories or the potential for misuse of research results. Furthermore, these issues are subject to local interpretations within different ethical cultures applying diverse legal systems emphasising different aspects. Neuroscience big data require a concerted approach to research across boundaries, wherein ethical aspects are integrated within a transparent, dialogical data governance process. We address this by developing the concept of “responsible data governance,” applying the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) to the challenges presented by the governance of neuroscience big data in the Human Brain Project (HBP)

Exploring the relationships between pedagogy, ethics & technology: building a framework for strategy development

At the majority of educational institutions today, staff are encouraged to experiment with tools that promote e-learning. Yet success in e-learning depends on integrating these tools into the overall educational process, and the relationships between pedagogy, technology, and ethics are still poorly understood. This paper proposes a framework that will allow future research to define more clearly how these concepts overlap, and to identify the impacts that they have upon each other. The framework provides a way of analysing their dependencies, and will thus help to minimise the ethical risks that will otherwise occur in e-learning.This is an electronic version of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Technology Pedagogy and Education, 16(1), pp. 111-126. The article is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1475939060116812

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