In this article, we develop the concept of Transparency by Design that serves as practical guidance in helping promote the beneficial functions of transparency while mitigating its challenges in automated-decision making environments. With the rise of artificial intelligence and the ability of AI systems to make automated and self-learned decisions, a call for transparency of how such systems reach decisions has echoed within academic and policy circles. The term transparency, however, relates to multiple concepts, fulfills many functions, and holds different (...) promises that struggle to be realized in concrete applications. Indeed, the complexity of transparency for ADM shows tension between transparency as a normative ideal and its translation to practical application. To address this tension, we first conduct a review of transparency, analyzing its challenges and limitations concerning automated decision-making practices. We then look at the lessons learned from the development of Privacy by Design, as a basis for developing the Transparency by Design principles. Finally, we propose a set of nine principles to cover relevant contextual, technical, informational, and stakeholder-sensitive considerations. Transparency by Design is a model that helps organizations design transparent AI systems, by integrating these principles in a step-by-step manner and as an ex-ante value, not as an afterthought. (shrink)

Healthcare robots enable practices that seemed far-fetched in the past. Robots might be the solution to bridge the loneliness that the elderly often experience; they may help wheelchair users walk again, or may help navigate the blind. European Institutions, however, acknowledge that human contact is an essential aspect of personal care and that the insertion of robots could dehumanize caring practices. Such instances of human–robot interactions raise the question to what extent the use and development of robots for healthcare applications (...) can challenge the dignity of users. In this article, therefore, we explore how different robot applications in the healthcare domain support individuals in achieving ‘dignity’ or pressure it. We argue that since healthcare robot applications are novel, their associated risks and impacts may be unprecedented and unknown, thus triggering the need for a conceptual instrument that is binding and remains flexible at the same time. In this respect, as safety rules and data protection are often criticized to lack flexibility, and technology ethics to lack enforceability, we suggest human dignity as the overarching governance instrument for robotics, which is the inviolable value upon which all fundamental rights are grounded. (shrink)

Wearable robots and exoskeletons are relatively new technologies designed for assisting and augmenting human motor functions. Due to their different possible design applications and their intimate connection to the human body, they come with specific ethical, legal, and social issues, which have not been much explored in the recent ELS literature. This paper draws on expert consultations and a literature review to provide a taxonomy of the most important ethical, legal, and social issues of wearable robots. These issues are categorized (...) in wearable robots and the self, wearable robots and the other, and wearable robots in society. (shrink)

Transparency is now a fundamental principle for data processing under the General Data Protection Regulation. We explore what this requirement entails for artificial intelligence and automated decision-making systems. We address the topic of transparency in artificial intelligence by integrating legal, social, and ethical aspects. We first investigate the ratio legis of the transparency requirement in the General Data Protection Regulation and its ethical underpinnings, showing its focus on the provision of information and explanation. We then discuss the pitfalls with respect (...) to this requirement by focusing on the significance of contextual and performative factors in the implementation of transparency. We show that human–computer interaction and human-robot interaction literature do not provide clear results with respect to the benefits of transparency for users of artificial intelligence technologies due to the impact of a wide range of contextual factors, including performative aspects. We conclude by integrating the information- and explanation-based approach to transparency with the critical contextual approach, proposing that transparency as required by the General Data Protection Regulation in itself may be insufficient to achieve the positive goals associated with transparency. Instead, we propose to understand transparency relationally, where information provision is conceptualized as communication between technology providers and users, and where assessments of trustworthiness based on contextual factors mediate the value of transparency communications. This relational concept of transparency points to future research directions for the study of transparency in artificial intelligence systems and should be taken into account in policymaking. (shrink)

The global Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in social and economic disruption unprecedented in the modern era. Many countries have introduced severe measures to contain the virus, including travel restrictions, public event bans, non-essential business closures and remote work policies. While digital technologies help governments and organizations to enforce protection measures, such as contact tracing, their rushed deployment and adoption also raises profound concerns about surveillance, privacy and data protection. This article presents two critical cases on digital surveillance technologies implemented during (...) the Covid-19 pandemic and delineates the privacy implications thereof. We explain the contextual nature of privacy trade-offs during a pandemic and explore how regulatory and technical responses are needed to protect privacy in such circumstances. By providing a multi-disciplinary conversation on the value of privacy and data protection during a global pandemic, this article reflects on the implications digital solutions have for the future and raises the question of whether there is a way to have expedited privacy assessments that could anticipate and help mitigate adverse privacy implications these may have on society. (shrink)

Driven by the increasing availability and deployment of ubiquitous computing technologies across our private and professional lives, implementations of automatically processable regulation (APR) have evolved over the past decade from academic projects to real-world implementations by states and companies. There are now pressing issues that such encoded regulation brings about for citizens and society, and strategies to mitigate these issues are required. However, _comprehensive yet practically operationalizable_ frameworks to navigate the complex interactions and evaluate the risks of projects that implement (...) APR are not available today. In this paper, and based on related work as well as our own experiences, we propose a framework to support the conceptualization, implementation, and application of _responsible_ APR. Our contribution is twofold: we provide a holistic characterization of what responsible APR means; and we provide support to operationalize this in concrete projects, in the form of leading questions, examples, and mitigation strategies. We thereby provide a scientifically backed yet practically applicable way to guide researchers, sponsors, implementers, and regulators toward better outcomes of APR for users and society. (shrink)

In this position paper, we have used Alan Cooper’s persona technique to illustrate the utility of audio- and video-based AAL technologies. Therefore, two primary examples of potential audio- and video-based AAL users, Anna and Irakli, serve as reference points for describing salient ethical, legal and social challenges related to use of AAL. These challenges are presented on three levels: individual, societal, and regulatory. For each challenge, a set of policy recommendations is suggested.

Ambient assisted living technologies are increasingly presented and sold as essential smart additions to daily life and home environments that will radically transform the healthcare and wellness markets of the future. An ethical approach and a thorough understanding of all ethics in surveillance/monitoring architectures are therefore pressing. AAL poses many ethical challenges raising questions that will affect immediate acceptance and long-term usage. Furthermore, ethical issues emerge from social inequalities and their potential exacerbation by AAL, accentuating the existing access gap between (...) high-income countries and low and middle-income countries. Legal aspects mainly refer to the adherence to existing legal frameworks and cover issues related to product safety, data protection, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and access to data by public, private, and government bodies. Successful privacy-friendly AAL applications are needed, as the pressure to bring Internet of Things devices and ones equipped with artificial intelligence quickly to market cannot overlook the fact that the environments in which AAL will operate are mostly private. The social issues focus on the impact of AAL technologies before and after their adoption. Future AAL technologies need to consider all aspects of equality such as gender, race, age and social disadvantages and avoid increasing loneliness and isolation among, e.g. older and frail people. Finally, the current power asymmetries between the target and general populations should not be underestimated nor should the discrepant needs and motivations of the target group and those developing and deploying AAL systems. Whilst AAL technologies provide promising solutions for the health and social care challenges, they are not exempt from ethical, legal and social issues. A set of ELSI guidelines is needed to integrate these factors at the research and development stage. (shrink)

Policymakers need to start considering the impact smart connected toys (SCTs) have on children. Equipped with sensors, data processing capacities, and connectivity, SCTs targeting children increasingly penetrate pervasively personal environments. The network of SCTs forms the Internet of Toys (IoToys) and often increases children's engagement and playtime experience. Unfortunately, this young part of the population and, most of the time, their parents are often unaware of SCTs’ far-reaching capacities and limitations. The capabilities and constraints of SCTs create severe side effects (...) at the technical, individual, and societal level. These side effects are often unforeseeable and unexpected. They arise from the technology's use and the interconnected nature of the IoToys, without necessarily involving malevolence from their creators. Although existing regulations and new ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence provide remedies to address some of the side effects, policymakers did not develop these redress mechanisms having children and SCTs in mind. This article provides an analysis of the arising side effects of SCTs and contrasts them with current regulatory redress mechanisms. We thereby highlight misfits and needs for further policymaking efforts. (shrink)

Policymakers need to start considering the impact smart connected toys (SCTs) have on children. Equipped with sensors, data processing capacities, and connectivity, SCTs targeting children increasingly penetrate pervasively personal environments. The network of SCTs forms the Internet of Toys (IoToys) and often increases children's engagement and playtime experience. Unfortunately, this young part of the population and, most of the time, their parents are often unaware of SCTs’ far-reaching capacities and limitations. The capabilities and constraints of SCTs create severe side effects (...) at the technical, individual, and societal level. These side effects are often unforeseeable and unexpected. They arise from the technology's use and the interconnected nature of the IoToys, without necessarily involving malevolence from their creators. Although existing regulations and new ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence provide remedies to address some of the side effects, policymakers did not develop these redress mechanisms having children and SCTs in mind. This article provides an analysis of the arising side effects of SCTs and contrasts them with current regulatory redress mechanisms. We thereby highlight misfits and needs for further policymaking efforts. (shrink)

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

For twenty-five years Eduard Fischer returned to the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, enthralled by the unique culture of this ancient Buddhist kingdom, and seeking to catch just a glimpse of the elusive snow leopard. This is the tale of that quest, but also an exploration of myth, art, science, and the sacred space of high mountains.

In the first part of this article I investigated the Popperian roots of Lakatos's Proofs and Refutations, which was an attempt to apply, and thereby to test, Popper's theory of knowledge in a field—mathematics—to which it had not primarily been intended to apply. While Popper's theory of knowledge stood up gloriously to this test, the new application gave rise to new insights into the heuristic of mathematical development, which necessitated further clarification and improvement of some Popperian methodological maxims. In the (...) present part I analyze this second phase in the development of Lakatos's Popperian programme in mathematics, and its connection to the methodology of scientific research programmes. (shrink)

Wir leben in einer Symbiose mit der Technik. Dabei stösst unser Selbstverständnis an vielen Stellen auf fundamentale Herausforderungen, die eine Neubestimmung des Humanen in seiner technischen Umwelt erfordern. Die Problematik ist oftmals nicht sogleich sichtbar und manifestiert sich erst im Nachhinein als zumeist unbeabsichtigte Konsequenz des Technikgebrauchs. Gerade die Digitalisierung, welche die gegenwärtige Etappe dieser Symbiose kennzeichnet, verkörpert die latente Gefahr, dass der Mensch zum Untertan der Geräte mutiert. Die drängende Frage lautet, ob und inwieweit der Mensch einen Platz zu (...) behaupten vermag, der ihm mehr zusichert als eine Existenz als blosser Geräte-Fortsatz. Gelingt es uns nicht, diesen Platz zu verteidigen, werden wir unseres Menschseins beraubt sein. (shrink)

Excerpt from Kritik der Philosophie des Schonen Die Frage nach dem Schonen kann in mannigfacher Weise formuliert werden, wie dies auch in den altesten uns erhaltenen Forschungen uber das Schone tatsachlich geschehen ist. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the (...) aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. (shrink)

The book makes a direct contribution to the connection between phenomenology and cognitive science.

This paper examines a historical case of conceptual change in mathematics that was fundamental to its progress. I argue that in this particular case, the change was conditioned primarily by social processes, and these are reflected in the intellectual development of the discipline. Reorganization of mathematicians and the formation of a new mathematical community were the causes of changes in intellectual content, rather than being mere effects. The paper focuses on the French Revolution, which gave rise to revolutionary developments in (...) mathematics. I examine how changes in the political constellation affected mathematicians both individually and collectively, and how a new professional community—with different views on the objects, problems, aims, and values of the discipline—arose. On the basis of this account, I will discuss such Kuhnian themes as the role of the professional community and normal versus revolutionary development.Author Keywords: Carnot; Monge; Kuhn; Revolution; Conceptual change. (shrink)

HEINRICH SCHIPPERGES vollendete am 17. Marz 1983 sein 65. Lebensjahr. Urn ihm eine Freude zu machen, ja urn ihm die gebiihrende Referenz zu erweisen, hatte sich am 19. Marz im Auditorium der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften ein Kreis von Gratulanten eingefun­ den. Die Sprecher brachten ihre Gabe, je einen Beitrag aus dem eigenen Arbeitsgebiet, zum Vortrag, und der lubilar selbst griff in die Speichen. Er zeigte, was er unter "An­ thropologie" versteht. Nicht aIle Beitdige zu diesem Buche konnten miindlich ausgebreitet (...) werden, aus auBeren Grunden. Nicht alles, was gesagt wurde, konnte gedruckt werden, aus ganz verschiedenen sachlichen Grunden. Es ist nur natiirlich, daB in unserem Buche die historischen Aspekte iiberwiegen. Andererseits geht es gewiI3 nicht nur urn "Geschichte" und "Problemgeschichte", sondern urn klarende und kritische Untersuchungen zum Stand der "Hildegard-Forschung", zum Krankheits-, zum ModeIlbe­ griff, urn Gestalttheorie und Krankheitsforschung, - urn nur einiges zu nennen. Die Darstellung unserer "Aspekte" bringt, wie ich denke, zwei Kostbarkeiten: den Bericht der ehrwiirdigen Frau Sr. ADELGUNDIS FUHRKOTIER OSB iiber die Frage, was ist gesichert im literarischen Nachlaj3 der hI. Hildegard von Bingen, und die bezaubernde Geschichte der Vorwor­ ter der Dedikationsliteratur des 12. bis 17. sc. durch einen der besten Kenner des Prooemium, den lubilar selbst. Unser Buch enthalt elf wissenschaftliche Beitrage und eine bibliographische Materialsammlung zur Medizinischen Anthropologie. Dieser Beitrag will dem, der sich orientie­ ren muB, was diese Anthropologie darstellt und wie sie ge­ worden ist, einen "Handapparat" geben. (shrink)

Probleme der Psychologie.--Proaktive Psychologie kontra reaktive Psychologie.

Was passiert, wenn jemand zeigt, dass die Dreifaltigkeit der Ausgangspunkt der Freiheitsgeschichte der Menschheit ist? Dass in ihr das Risiko grundgelegt ist, das in jeder Begegnung eingeschlossen ist? Dass sie das Netz ist, das jede menschliche Liebe unterfangt? Und dass sie schliesslich die ausserste Spannung auszieht, von der Fulle des Seins zum Nichts und zum Tod? Plotzlich ruckt dann die Dreifaltigkeit mitten ins Zentrum des Verstehens von Menschheitsentwicklung und Kultur, von Gottinnigkeit ebenso wie von Gottesferne. Nichts Geringeres unternimmt die vorliegende (...) Arbeit des Franziskaners P. Eduard Prenga. Den wesentlichen Bezugspunkt bildet dabei der italienische Theologe Piero Coda, der an der Papstlichen Lateran-Universitat sein Lehrer war. Der Mensch in seiner Geschichtlichkeit ist das Ziel der sich schenkenden Liebe Gottes, so wie sie im Neuen Testament bezeichnet wird: agape. Deshalb offenbart dieser sich selbst. Diese Offenbarung stellt die Theologie vor die Frage: Wie kann die Dreieinigkeit gedacht und ins Menschliche "uber-setzt" werden? Die vorliegende Studie unternimmt den Versuch einer Antwort, indem sie vom trinitatstheologischen Denken des italienischen Theologen Piero Coda ausgeht und zu Edmund Husserls Phanomenologie der Intersubjektivitat und Interpersonalitat gelangt. Dabei ist sie sowohl trinitarische Ontologie als auch trinitarische Phanomenologie. (shrink)