Ethics by design - an experience-based proposal for introducing ethics to R&D of emerging ICTs

Based on our experiences of large-scale international projects for developing emerging information and communication technologies (ICTs), we here describe an approach to Ethics by Design to support the introduction of ethical thinking and aspects of responsible innovation into the design of enabling technologies for emerging ICTs. Enabling technologies are platforms for various applications, and their impact is therefore substantial. Our proposal integrates our experiences and insights from research and literature to illustrate how ethical thinking can be interwoven into design from the very beginning. The approach aims to take ethical issues into consideration throughout the design process in such a way that the negotiated ethical values are integrated into technology where possible. The approach proposes a view in which ethics can be a source of innovation and a positive guiding force in development. Stakeholder participation is an essential part of the development of ethical solutions and of negotiating the development of future technologies.