Moral Imagination for Engineering Teams: The Technomoral Scenario

Authors

Keywords:

Moral Imagination, Technomoral Scenario, AI Ethics

Abstract

“Moral imagination” is the capacity to register that one’s perspective on a decision-making situation is limited,
and to imagine alternative perspectives that reveal new considerations or approaches. We have developed a
Moral Imagination approach that aims to drive a culture of responsible innovation, ethical awareness,
deliberation, decision-making, and commitment in organizations developing new technologies. We here present
a case study that illustrates one key aspect of our approach – the technomoral scenario – as we have applied
it in our work with product and engineering teams. Technomoral scenarios are fictional narratives that raise
ethical issues surrounding the interaction between emerging technologies and society. Through facilitated roleplaying and discussion, participants are prompted to examine their own intentions, articulate justifications for
actions, and consider the impact of decisions on various stakeholders. This process helps developers to reenvision their choices and responsibilities, ultimately contributing to a culture of responsible innovation

References

Lange, B., Keeling, G., McCroskery, A. *et al.* Engaging engineering teams through moral imagination: a bottom-up approach for responsible innovation and ethical culture change in technology companies. AI Ethics (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-023-00381-7.

Swierstra, Tsjalling, Dirk Stemerding, and Marianne Boenink. "Exploring techno-moral change: the case of the obesitypill." Evaluating New Technologies: Methodological Problems for the Ethical Assessment of Technology Developments. (2009): 119-138.

Werhane, Patricia Hogue. Moral imagination and management decision-making. Oxford University Press, USA, 1999.

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Published

2024-10-19

How to Cite

Keeling, Geoff, Benjamin Lange, Amanda McCroskery, Kyle Pedersen, David Weinberger, and Ben Zevenbergen. 2024. “Moral Imagination for Engineering Teams: The Technomoral Scenario”. The International Review of Information Ethics 34 (1). Edmonton, Canada. https://informationethics.ca/index.php/irie/article/view/527.

Issue

Vol. 34 No. 1 (2024): Case Studies in AI Ethics

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 Geoff Keeling

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