Ethics by Design ’24

Conference: Ethics by Design: Shaping Secure Innovations – 24.10.2024 on-line

Łukasiewicz Research Network – ITECH Institute of Innovation and Technology,

Faculty of Philosophy University of Warsaw, 

Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics (INCET) at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków,  

Institute for National and International Security – INIS

A key element of our conference is the concept of “Ethics by Design” – an approach that involves embedding ethical values and principles of social responsibility at an early stage of technology design.

Incorporating ethical values into the development of innovations ensures that technologies not only deliver benefits, but also minimise the risk of negative impacts on individuals, societies and the environment.

In the context of technological security, it becomes necessary to develop strategies and solutions that, among other things, protect our privacy, ensure data integrity and minimise the risk of cyber attacks. 

The Ethics by Design; Shaping Secure Innovations conference provides a platform to share best practices and strategies to ensure security in the development of socially responsible innovations and technologies.

In this edition, we particularly want to make values relating directly to security, the social responsibility of science and the RRI approach an important aspect. In implementing RRI, we aim to ensure that technological progress and research respect human rights, reflect social and cultural values and foster sustainable development.

Contemporary trends are revolutionising the ways in which individuals function in society and the world. As we make use of a complex system of technologies, it is important that we do not forget their ethical implications and how to minimise possible negative impacts.

In the context of current realities, such as the situation in Ukraine, our discussions about ethics and technological security take on particular importance. Global challenges require a holistic approach that takes into account both technological progress and its consequences.

We want to make the question of how to ethically shape the future of safe and sustainable technological innovation the central issue of the conference.

PROPOSED THEMATIC AREAS: 

  • Technological sovereignty 

Technological sovereignty: implementation of solutions in specific technological areas for the socially responsible development of science and business.

Pursuit of EU strategic autonomy: opportunities and threats of technological competition, problems of supply chain disruption, challenges of geopolitical, economic and social processes and trends.

Technological security: the role and place of ethics in areas of technological security, the synergy of technology and science for security, the ethical context of defence technology development.

  • Health 

Ethical aspects of telemedicine: patient privacy, collection and storage of medical data, accessibility to remote healthcare among different social groups

Ethics of artificial intelligence in medicine: use of AI in diagnosis and treatment, accountability for decisions made, risk of bias and discrimination in AI algorithms.

RRI in medical technologies: consideration of ethics in medical technology design, public participation, patient and community perspective in research projects and medical innovation.

  • Artificial intelligence 

Generative artificial intelligence tools: risks of potential abuse and misinformation, digital security and data protection, transparency in the use of tools, algorithmic bias, regulations and standards for specific industries (e.g. science, arts, media)

The metaverse: cybersecurity challenges, Big Tech responsibility for services delivered in virtual environments, privacy protection, psychological consequences of increasing virtual environments in daily life.

Responsible design of HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) systems: design of safe, sustainable and socially acceptable systems; decision-making of AI algorithms – the problem of accountability for their decisions; implementation of ethical principles in AI-enabled design processes.

  • Energy

Sustainable electricity grid: new low- and zero-carbon technologies, smart grid management systems, grid decentralisation, energy communities, tackling climate change, building resilience.

Energy security: managing access to energy in a way that ensures security on a national scale and counteracts individual energy poverty, independence from external energy suppliers, stability of supply and prices.

Public acceptance of energy innovations: sustainable and responsible innovation, public participation, public inquiry, ethical power plant construction process, community-caring energy transition.

The Ethics by Design conference provides a forum for discussing the implementation of ethical principles for safe and socially responsible innovations. In this edition, there is a special focus on the values of technological security in particular in relation to policy and the idea of technological sovereignty in health technologies, AI and energy transition.