Details Publications

Putting Embedded Ethics and Social Science into practice

Author(s)
Svenja Breuer, Sophia Witz, Jon Skerlj, Maximilian Braun, Marieke Bak, Abdeldjallil Naceri, Daniel Tigard, Sami Haddadin, Alena Buyx, Iris Eisenberger, Ruth Müller
Abstract

In response to the ethical and societal challenges of emerging technologies, there is a growing commitment to integrative socio-technical research. One such approach is embedded ethics and social science, which embeds the analysis of ethical, social, and legal aspects into the entire innovation process through direct collaboration between ethicists, social scientists, legal scholars, technical researchers, and experts in the field of application. We offer reflections on our experiences from the approach's pilot project, Responsible Robotics, where we were integrated into a research project on service robotics for senior care. Drawing on more than four years of embedded research, we present practices through which peer-to-peer relationships develop. These relationships challenge disciplinary identities and serve as grounds for mutual learning and capacity-building. Our insights contribute to the discourse on how science and technology studies (STS), ethics, and law can integrate with technological research to ensure ethically and socially responsible practices.

Organisation(s)
Department of Innovation and Digitalisation in Law
External organisation(s)
Technische Universität München, Center for Responsible AI Technologies, University of San Diego, Northeastern University
Journal
Journal of Responsible Innovation
Volume
11
ISSN
2329-9460
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2024.2426854
Publication date
11-2024
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
502014 Innovation research, 303019 Medical ethics, 202035 Robotics, 504028 Sociology of technology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Information Systems and Management, Management of Technology and Innovation, Strategy and Management
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/a2327619-3cd9-481e-8d9b-b2e74a19c937