306
14 Summary: What’s Wrong with AI?
14.3.5 Design for Values
As our current world is challenged by various existential threats, innovation seems to
be more important than ever. But how to guide innovation in a way that creates large
societal benefits while keeping undesirable side effects at bay? Regulation often does
not appear to work well. It is often quite restrictive and typically comes late, which
is problematic for businesses and society alike.
However, it is clear that we need responsible innovation.
85 This requires proactively addressing relevant constitutional and ethical, social and cultural values
already in the design phase of new technologies, products, services, spaces, systems,
and institutions.
There are several reasons for adopting a design for values approach:
86 (1) the
avoidance of technology rejection due to a mismatch with the values of users or
society, (2) the improvement of technologies by better embodying these values, and
(3) the stimulation of value-oriented behavior by design.
Value-sensitive design
87 —and ethically aligned design
88 —have quickly become
quite popular. It is important to note, however, that one should not focus on a single
value. Value pluralism is important.
89 Moreover, the kinds of values chosen may
depend on the functionality or purpose of a system. For example, considering findings
in game theory and computational social science, one could design next-generation
social media platforms in ways that promote cooperation, fairness, trust and truth.
90
Also note that a list of 12 values to support flourishing information societies has
recently been proposed (see Appendix 14.1).
91
14.3.6 Democracy by Design
Among the social engineers of the digital age, it seems that democracy has often
been framed as “outdated technology”.
92 Larry Page (*1973) once said that Google
wanted to carry out experiments, but could not do so, because laws were preventing
85 How we can engineer a more responsible digital future, World Economic Forum (March 16,
2018). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/03/engineering-a-more-responsible-digital-future.
86 Engineering Social Technologies for a Responsible Digital Future, TU Delft, https://www.tudelft.
nl/en/tpm/research/projects/engineering-social-technologies-for-a-responsible-digital-future/; see
also the next references.
87 TU Delft Design for Values, http://designforvalues.tudelft.nl (accessed on August 8, 2020).
88 Ethically Aligned Design, Version 2, IEEE https://standards.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-standards/
standards/web/documents/other/ead_v2.pdf.
89 Jeroen van den Hoven, Design for Values and Democracy (June 11, 2019) https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=sZYH53j5dFc.
90 Helbing [25].
91 Helbing [26].
92 Randoph Hencken in: Mikrogesellschaften. Hat die Demokratie ausgedient? Video veröffentlicht
am 15.5.2014. Joachim Gaertner, München, Bayerischer Rundfunk (2014).
14 Summary: What’s Wrong with AI?
14.3.5 Design for Values
As our current world is challenged by various existential threats, innovation seems to
be more important than ever. But how to guide innovation in a way that creates large
societal benefits while keeping undesirable side effects at bay? Regulation often does
not appear to work well. It is often quite restrictive and typically comes late, which
is problematic for businesses and society alike.
However, it is clear that we need responsible innovation.
85 This requires proactively addressing relevant constitutional and ethical, social and cultural values
already in the design phase of new technologies, products, services, spaces, systems,
and institutions.
There are several reasons for adopting a design for values approach:
86 (1) the
avoidance of technology rejection due to a mismatch with the values of users or
society, (2) the improvement of technologies by better embodying these values, and
(3) the stimulation of value-oriented behavior by design.
Value-sensitive design
87 —and ethically aligned design
88 —have quickly become
quite popular. It is important to note, however, that one should not focus on a single
value. Value pluralism is important.
89 Moreover, the kinds of values chosen may
depend on the functionality or purpose of a system. For example, considering findings
in game theory and computational social science, one could design next-generation
social media platforms in ways that promote cooperation, fairness, trust and truth.
90
Also note that a list of 12 values to support flourishing information societies has
recently been proposed (see Appendix 14.1).
91
14.3.6 Democracy by Design
Among the social engineers of the digital age, it seems that democracy has often
been framed as “outdated technology”.
92 Larry Page (*1973) once said that Google
wanted to carry out experiments, but could not do so, because laws were preventing
85 How we can engineer a more responsible digital future, World Economic Forum (March 16,
2018). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/03/engineering-a-more-responsible-digital-future.
86 Engineering Social Technologies for a Responsible Digital Future, TU Delft, https://www.tudelft.
nl/en/tpm/research/projects/engineering-social-technologies-for-a-responsible-digital-future/; see
also the next references.
87 TU Delft Design for Values, http://designforvalues.tudelft.nl (accessed on August 8, 2020).
88 Ethically Aligned Design, Version 2, IEEE https://standards.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-standards/
standards/web/documents/other/ead_v2.pdf.
89 Jeroen van den Hoven, Design for Values and Democracy (June 11, 2019) https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=sZYH53j5dFc.
90 Helbing [25].
91 Helbing [26].
92 Randoph Hencken in: Mikrogesellschaften. Hat die Demokratie ausgedient? Video veröffentlicht
am 15.5.2014. Joachim Gaertner, München, Bayerischer Rundfunk (2014).