Responsible Innovation: Ethics, Safety and Technology (edX)

How to deal with risks and ethical questions raised by development of new technologies. There is no doubt that technological innovation is one of the key elements driving human progress. However, new technologies also raise ethical questions, have serious implications for society and the environment and pose new risks, often unknown and unknowable before the new technologies reach maturity.

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They may even lead to radical disruptions. Just think about robots, self-driving vehicles, medical engineering, digitalization of societies or geo-engineering to address climate change.

They are strongly dependent on social acceptance and cannot escape public debates of regulation and ethics. If we want to innovate, we have to do that responsibly. We need to reflect on –and include- our societal values in this process. This course will give you the framework and tools to do so.

The first part of the course focuses on ethical questions and concerns and our responsibilities with respect to new technologies.

The second part deals with (unknown) risks and safety of technologies including a number of qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methods. It also addresses the need for regulation (and challenges) when it comes to emerging technologies.

The last part of the course will introduce you to Value Sensitive Design, which takes into account our societal concerns and values as the starting point for innovation. The methodology – including dealing with value conflicts- will be explained.

Case studies for reflection and discussions during the course include – among others- the coronavirus, nanotechnology, self-driving vehicles, care robots, AI, genomics, energy transition, climate change and geo-engineering and coolants.

Affordable innovations for low-income groups and emerging markets are also covered in the course.

The course is for all students who are looking for a methodical approach to judge and manage innovations and related risks from a broader – societal- perspective. We invite you to bring your own thoughts and experiences and to actively discuss them in the course.

What you'll learn:

- To approach ethical questions with respect to (new) technology, based on various case studies.

- To assess types of innovation (like radical, niche, incremental, frugal).

- To assess risks and safety of new technologies and causes of accidents (including responsibility gaps).

- To deal with unknown risks (deep uncertainty) when it comes to new technologies.

- To use a framework for responsible innovation that addresses social and ethical concerns.

- To use the Value Sensitive Design (VSD) method in this regard.