Whitepaper "Ethical Algorithms for Sense and Respond Systems" for Accenture Labs

Whitepaper “Ethical Algorithms for “Sense and Respond” Systems, for Accenture Labs Ethics report, 2016.

Authors: Aman Ahuja (The Data Guild), Scott David (University of Washington), Harrison Lynch (Accenture), Seven C. Tiell (Accenture), Gideon Wulfsohn (Tufts University).

link to https://www.academia.edu/31436602/Accenture_Labs_Ethical_algorithms_for_sense_and_respond_systems

Targeted towards executives at Fortune 500 companies, this paper emphasizes the importance of ethical and thoughtful design in pervasive Sense and Respond systems, like self-driving cars.

This paper examines the ethical implications of Sense and Respond (S&R) systems, which are increasingly used in autonomous decision-making in various sectors, including transportation and finance.

We discuss the ethical concerns, such as safety, inequitable outcomes, and loss of trust if the systems are not properly designed. We use the well-known Trolley Problem to drive part of the discussion - a thought experiment that highlights moral decisions faced by S&R systems such as autonomous vehicles. Recommendations include enhancing transparency, educating designers on ethical issues, and implementing appropriate regulations to address these challenges.

This paper was written as part of the Data Ethics Research Initiative, launched by Accenture’s Technology Vision team. (www.accenture.com).