Deliverable
National legal case studies on emerging technologies

In short

Climate engineering, neurotechnologies, and digital extended reality (XR) present many significant legal issues that impact socio-economic equality and fundamental rights. In most cases, there is only limited amount of comprehensive or dedicated national laws governing these technology families, though many elements of the technologies are subject to existing national legal frameworks.

This report explores and analyses relevant national laws in nine case studies for these three technology families: Climate Engineering in Australia, Austria and the United Kingdom, neurotechnologies in Germany, Ireland and the United States, and XR in France, Italy and the United Kingdom.

You can explore each individual case study or download the full comparative report further below.

Together with TechEthos’ analysis of international and EU law and policy, this analysis will serve as the basis for future work in the TechEthos project involving the development of recommendations for the adjustment or enhancement of legal frameworks at the national and/or international level, as well as policy briefs on the possible need for dedicated legislation at the EU level.

Authors

Julie Vinders, Trilateral Research (TRI), Ben Howkins, TRI, Nicole Santiago, TRI, Iva-Nicole Mavrlja, TRI, Rowena Rodrigues, TRI, Wenzel
Mehnert AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Domenico Piero Muscillo, Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca Industriale (Airi), Gustavo Gonzalez, Airi, Marco Liut, Airi, Sara Morisani, Airi, Andrea Porcari, Airi, Laurynas Adomaitis, CEA, Alexei Grinbaum, CEA, Kathleen Richardson, De Monfort University (DMU), Nitika Bhalla, DMU, Lisa Häberlein, European Network of Research Ethics Committees (EUREC), Bennet Francis, University of Twente (UT), Dominic Lenzi, UT.

Date of publication

30 December 2022

Status

Draft version submitted to the European Commission for review

Cite this resource

Vinders, J., et al. (2022). TechEthos D4.2:
Comparative analysis of national legal case
studies. Deliverable 4.2 for the European Commission. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu

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Deliverable
Tools to develop and advance
scenarios dealing with the ethics
of new technologies

In short

This report describes the process of co-creation of the TechEthos game that was developed to enhance the TechEthos scenarios.

It also presents the results of employing the Triadic Game Design methodology as an approach to working with expert game design stakeholders across the dedicated workshops in order to resolve emerging value tensions in game design.

The game resulting from the co-creation activities with expert stakeholders will be used in conjunction with the TechEthos scenarios and both expert and citizen participants to surface ethical issues and concerns in those scenarios and, consequently, helping to enhance the scenarios in order to be more comprehensive in their breadth.

Authors

Steven Umbrello, Delft University of Technology (TUD), Pieter Vermaas, TUD, Cristina Paca, European Network of Science Centres and Museums (Ecsite), Greta Alliaj, Ecsite, Andrew Whittington-Davis, Ecsite, Fabrice Jouvenot, Ecsite, Michael J. Bernstein, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Wenzel Mehnert, AIT, Masafumi Nishi, AIT, Eva Buchinger, AIT.

Date of publication

15 December 2022

Status

Draft version submitted to the European Commission for review

Cite this resource

Umbrello, S., Vermaas, P., Paca, C., Alliaj, G., Nishi, M., Whittington, A., Jouvenot, F., Bernstein, M.J., Mehnert, W., Buchinger, E., (2022). Tools to develop and advance scenarios dealing with the ethics of new technologies. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

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Deliverable
Policy note: Analysis of expert scenarios addressing ethical implications
of the selected technologies

In short

This policy note builds on experts reflections shared during three participatory workshops
using TechEthos-generated scenarios. TechEthos scenarios where drafted considering possible future developments and deployment of new or emerging technologies in social and ecological systems different from our present-day circumstances. Such consideration of possible futures helps one surface assumptions, ethical, and social blind-spots associated with technology development.
Workshops focused on the ethical issues and social implications of TechEthos three technology families: Climate Engineering, Digital Extended Reality, and Neurotechnologies. Significant ethical issues already accompany these technologies,
whether they are in early or more advanced stages.

Authors

Michael Bernstein, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Wenzel Mehnert, AIT

Date of publication

14 July 2021

Status

Deliverable accepted by the European Commission

Cite this resource

Bernstein MJ and Mehnert W (2022). Policy note: Analysis of expert scenarios addressing ethical implications of the selected technologies. TechEthos Project Deliverable to the European Commission. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

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Deliverable
Analysis of international and EU law and policy

In short

This report explores and analyses relevant international and EU laws and policies for their relevance and applicability to TechEthos’ three families of technologies: Climate Engineering, Digital Extended Reality, and Neurotechnologies. Based on the analysis of the characteristics, applications and ethics and socio-economic impacts of these technologies, as emerged in previous phases of the TechEthos project, the report served different purposes:

• To review the legal domains and related obligations at international and EU levels.
• To identify potential implications for fundamental rights and principles of democracy and rule of law, considering both enhancements and interferences.
• To reflect on issues and challenges of existing legal frameworks to address current and future implications of the technologies.

There is no comprehensive or dedicated international or EU law governing these technology families. However, there are many legal obligations under existing legal frameworks. The legal issues and challenges discussed in this report are grouped into applicable legal frameworks at the international and EU level.

Authors

Nicole Santiago, Trilateral Research (TRI), Ben Howkins, TRI, Julie Vinders, TRI, Rowena Rodrigues, TRI, Zuzanna Warso, TRI, Michael Bernstein, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Gustavo Gonzalez, Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca Industriale (Airi), Andrea Porcari, Airi

Date of publication

06 July 2022

Status

Deliverable approved by the European Commission

Cite this resource

Santiago, N., Howkins, B., Vinders, J., Rodrigues, R., Warso, Z., Bernstein, M., Gonzalez, G., Porcari, A. (2022). TechEthos D4.1: Analysis of international and EU law and policy. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

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Deliverable
Results of media analysis

In short

This report presents the results of the media scan and analysis of the TechEthos project. This study sought to gain insights on the media discourse on TechEthos’ three families of technologies: Climate Engineering, Digital Extended Reality, and Neurotechnologies. The media both reflect and shape public perceptions on technologies and, as such, give important indications of these perceptions.

Through an exploration of media discourse, this study contributes to TechEthos’ analysis of public awareness and acceptance of the three families of technology. The task was led by Trilateral Research and carried out with the support of TechEthos’ partners and the science centers and museums associated with the project. The task explored the media discourse in 13 countries – this included ten EU countries: Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Sweden and three non-EU countries: Serbia, UK, and USA. The news stories covered by the study were published in 2020 and 2021.

Authors

Anais Resseguier, Trilateral Research (TRI), Ilaria Bonavita, TRI

Date of publication

05 July 2022

Status

Deliverable approved by the European Commission

Cite this resource

Resseguier, A., Bonavita, I., (2022). Results of media analysis. TechEthos Project report.

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Deliverable
Analysis of Ethical Issues

In short

Based on literature studies, original research, expert consultation, and digital ethnographies, this report provides in-depth analysis of ethical issues raised by the three technology families TechEthos is focusing on: Digital eXtended Reality, including the techniques of visually eXtended Reality (XR) and the techniques of Natural Language Processing (NLP); Neurotechnologies; and Climate Engineering, including Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and Solar Radiation Management (SRM).

For each technology family, this report:

• Briefly presents various technologies belonging to the technology family;
• Describes key applications and use cases;
• Identifies core ethical dilemmas and provides conceptual arguments for understanding the nature, history and significance of these dilemmas;
• Identifies ethical values and principles in line with the “ethics by design” methodology and provides a contextualized discussion of the impact of the technology family on each value and principle;
• Outlines arguments for possible mitigation strategies with regard to each value or principle; and
• Provides operational checks and balances with regard to each value or principle, in the form of questions to be asked by designers, policy makers, and users of particular technologies.

Authors

Laurynas Adomaitis, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Alexei Grinbaum, CEA, Dominic Lenzi , University of Twente (TU)

Date of publication

30 June 2022

Status

Deliverable accepted by the European Commission

Cite this resource

Adomaitis, L., Grinbaum, A., Lenzi, D. (2022). TechEthos D2.2: Identification and specification of potential ethical issues and impacts and analysis of ethical issues of digital extended reality, neurotechnologies, and climate engineering. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

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Deliverable
The TechEthos approach to horizon scanning

In short

This report provides a critical review of horizon scan studies on future technological developments performed by research institutions, businesses, and policy organisations at transnational (EU) and international levels. This allowed TechEthos to identify common practices in horizon scanning and their advantages and disadvantages.

The project used this as its starting point to develop a TechEthos-specific ethically- and socially-driven horizon scan approach. It combines horizon scanning with insights from impact analysis, for a truly multi-dimensional approach. Applying this method allowed TechEthos to identify 35 technology families with significant socio-economic impact and further narrow these to 16 families with high socio-economic impact and ethical relevance. A set of three – Climate Engineering, Extended Digital Reality, and Neurotechnologies – will be the focus of the remainder of the project.

Author

Andrea Porcari, Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca Industriale (Airi), Giuliano Buceti, Airi, Daniela Pimponi, Airi, Gustavo Gonzalez, Airi, Eva Buchinger, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Manuela Kienegger, AIT, Georg Zahradnik, AIT, Michael Bernstein, AIT.

Date of publication

28 February 2022

Status

Deliverable accepted by the European Commission

Cite this resource

Porcari A., Buceti G., Pimponi D., Gonzalez G., Buchinger E., Kienegger M., Zahradnik G., Bernstein MJ, (2022), Ethical and social impacts-driven horizon scanning of new and emerging technologies. Deliverable 1.3 to the European Commission. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at:
www.techethos.eu.

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Deliverable
Methodology for ethical analysis and scan results of existing ethical codes and guidelines

In short

The world is changing, and ethical priorities are shaping how societies engage with and produce technologies. The horizon scanning activity has identified the three technology families that are the focus of the TechEthos project. This report contributes to an ethical overview which adds further to the conceptual and practical frameworks required to understand the technologies’ high socio-economic impact. 

This report reviews three approaches to ethical analysis ATE, eTA and Future Studies, and explores the process and the result of a scan of ethical guidelines on new and emerging technologies and their socio-economic impacts. This scan will be used to ensure that the ethics framework and guidelines developed by TechEthos will be relevant and applicable for a wide range of new and emerging technologies.

Authors

Sara Cannizzaro, De Montfort University (DMU), Laurence Brooks, DMU, Kathleen Richardson, DMU

Date of publication

29 September 2021

Status

Deliverable accepted by the European Commission

Cite this resource

Cannizzaro, S., Brooks, L., Richardson, K., Umbrello, S., Bernstein, M., Adomaitis, L., (2021). Methodology for ethical analysis, scan results of existing ethical codes and guidelines. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

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