Uncertainty in emotion recognitionLandowska, Agnieszka
2019 Journal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society
doi: 10.1108/jices-03-2019-0034
The purpose of this paper is to explore uncertainty inherent in emotion recognition technologies and the consequences resulting from that phenomenon.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a general overview of the concept; however, it is based on a meta-analysis of multiple experimental and observational studies performed over the past couple of years.FindingsThe main finding of the paper might be summarized as follows: there is uncertainty inherent in emotion recognition technologies, and the phenomenon is not expressed enough, not addressed enough and unknown by the users of the technology.Practical implicationsPractical implications of the study are formulated as postulates for the developers, users and researchers dealing with the technologies of automatic emotion recognition.Social implicationsAs technologies that recognize emotions are becoming more and more common, and perhaps more decisions influencing people lives are to come in the next decades, the trustworthiness of the technology is important from a scientific, practical and ethical point of view.Originality/valueStudying uncertainty of emotion recognition technologies is a novel approach and is not explored from such a broad perspective before.
For ethical reflection, establish a clear technical foundationHuff, Chuck
2019 Journal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society
doi: 10.1108/JICES-07-2019-0071
PurposeThis viewpoint aims to highlight the necessarily technical nature of ethics in software development, propose a label (ethical bypassing) for ethical analysis that does not lead to ethical action and introduce a philosophical foundation for technical analysis that leads to ethical software development.Design/methodology/approachThe methodological approach is one of technical analysis that is aware of social science and philosophical knowledge bases.FindingsThe findings establish a clear technical foundation that is crucial to ethical analysis that will actually inform software development.Research limitations/implicationsThe idea that beginning with technical expertise is the best way to begin ethical reflection on a technical implementation has been often suggested, but not really empircally tested. Research using cases or other qualitative approaches would need to be done to add credibility to the claim.Practical implicationsThis approach suggests that collaboration between technically informed ethicists and ethically informed technical experts should begin with the exploration of the technical questions rather than with ethical speculation.Social implicationsA common approach to ethical education is to concentrate on ethical theory and its application in technical contexts. This approach suggests that this may lead to ethical bypassing by the student, the avoidance of the making technical decisions by extensive ethical reflection.Originality/valueThis paper introduces a new term, ethical bypassing, to the literature on the ethics of software development.
Responding to uncertainty in emotion recognitionSchuller, Björn
2019 Journal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society
doi: 10.1108/JICES-07-2019-0080
PurposeUncertainty is an under-respected issue when it comes to automatic assessment of human emotion by machines. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the existent approaches towards such measurement of uncertainty, and identify further research need.Design/methodology/approachThe discussion is based on a literature review.FindingsTechnical solutions towards measurement of uncertainty in automatic emotion recognition (AER) exist but need to be extended to respect a range of so far underrepresented sources of uncertainty. These then need to be integrated into systems available to general users.Research limitations/implicationsNot all sources of uncertainty in automatic emotion recognition (AER) including emotion representation and annotation can be touched upon in this communication.Practical implicationsAER systems shall be enhanced by more meaningful and complete information provision on the uncertainty underlying their estimates. Limitations of their applicability should be communicated to users.Social implicationsUsers of automatic emotion recognition technology will become aware of their limitations, potentially leading to a fairer usage in crucial application context.Originality/valueThere is no previous discussion including the technical view point on extended uncertainty measurement in automatic emotion recognition.
Digital communication in and beyond organizations: unintended consequences of new freedomEntschew, Elisa Maria
2019 Journal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society
doi: 10.1108/jices-08-2018-0068
The purpose of this paper is to address the following question: In times of permanent connectivity, what forms of freedom need to be considered to prevent permanent availability as an unintended consequence? By using the Hegelian perspective on freedom, the paper categorizes three forms of freedom to transfer them to a common, contemporary understanding of freedom relating it to freedom through human-to-human digital communication. The aim is to show that freedom is not only about independence and realizing choices but also about embedding and committing oneself.Design/methodology/approachThis mainly conceptual paper derives implications based on the Hegelian theory. This is supplemented by an interdisciplinary approach, whereby categories of other philosophers, ethicists, economists and sociologists are applied. The analysis of the contemporary perspective on freedom is enriched by referencing empirical studies.FindingsDigital communication offers new freedom such as working with fewer restrictions from time and space, especially for knowledge workers. It is theoretically possible to work 24 h per day from anywhere (independence), as well as to decide on the final location and timing of one’s work (realizing choices). When solely focusing on these – seemingly advantageous – forms of freedom in times of permanent connectivity, unintended consequences such as the expectation of permanent availability develop. The key message of the paper is that considering one’s temporal and social dependencies (embeddedness) is an indispensable part of actual freedom to avoid unintended consequences.Practical implicationsOrganizations need to invest in moral discernment to understand unintended consequences, as well as to cope with them.Originality/valueApplying the Hegelian theory on freedom based on digital communication to better understand social dynamics of digital communication is a largely unexplored avenue in the existing scientific literature. The decision to undertake this venture resulted from the identified necessity of understanding freedom better. It is often not clear what is meant by freedom through digital communication. Although freedom is a complex construct, it is often reduced to independence/having a choice and realizing choices. When solely focusing on independence and realizing choices, unintended consequences such as permanent availability often go unnoticed. It is exactly because of these issues that this paper endeavors to examine the (deep) meaning of the powerful, yet complex, term of freedom.
Race, again: how face recognition technology reinforces racial discriminationBacchini, Fabio; Lorusso, Ludovica
2019 Journal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society
doi: 10.1108/jices-05-2018-0050
This study aims to explore whether face recognition technology – as it is intensely used by state and local police departments and law enforcement agencies – is racism free or, on the contrary, is affected by racial biases and/or racist prejudices, thus reinforcing overall racial discrimination.Design/methodology/approachThe study investigates the causal pathways through which face recognition technology may reinforce the racial disproportion in enforcement; it also inquires whether it further discriminates black people by making them experience more racial discrimination and self-identify more decisively as black – two conditions that are shown to be harmful in various respects.FindingsThis study shows that face recognition technology, as it is produced, implemented and used in Western societies, reinforces existing racial disparities in stop, investigation, arrest and incarceration rates because of racist prejudices and even contributes to strengthen the unhealthy effects of racism on historically disadvantaged racial groups, like black people.Practical implicationsThe findings hope to make law enforcement agencies and software companies aware that they must take adequate action against the racially discriminative effects of the use of face recognition technology.Social implicationsThis study highlights that no implementation of an allegedly racism-free biometric technology is safe from the risk of racially discriminating, simply because each implementation leans against our society, which is affected by racism in many persisting ways.Originality/valueWhile the ethical survey of biometric technologies is traditionally framed in the discourse of universal rights, this study explores an issue that has not been deeply scrutinized so far, that is, how face recognition technology differently affects distinct racial groups and how it contributes to racial discrimination.
The concept of Datenherrschaft of patient information from a Heideggerian perspectiveKoskinen, Jani Simo Sakari
2019 Journal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society
doi: 10.1108/jices-04-2018-0031
In this paper, patient information is approached from a Heideggerian perspective with the intention to gather an understanding about the personal nature of the information. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the ownership of patient information and then present Datenherrschaft (German for “mastery over information”) as a suitable model for patient ownership of patient information.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is theoretical in approach. It is based on arguments derived from Heidegger’s work in the Being and Time.FindingsBased on this Heideggerian approcah, a proposal for using the special definition of ownership of patient information – Datenherrschaft – given to a patient is suggested. From a Heideggerian perspective, it can be stated that the patient has the strongest rights towards patient information because this information is crucial for a patient to have an understanding about their Dasein (being-in-the-world).Research limitations/implicationsDatenherrschaft is used as an example of an ethically justified way of regulating the patient information ownership and should be analysed further. Especially the practical implications of implementing Datenherrschaft need more research.Originality/valuePatient information ownership is an issue that is neither unambiguously solved in many countries, nor has it, in our view, been ethically justified. The potential solution – Datenherrschaft – presented in this paper is clear and has strong philosophical justifications.
A new dimension in publishing ethics: social media-based ethics-related accusationsTeixeira da Silva, Jaime A.; Dobránszki, Judit
2019 Journal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society
doi: 10.1108/JICES-05-2018-0051
PurposeWhistle-blowing, which has become an integral part of the post-publication peer-review movement, is being fortified by social media. Anonymous commenting on blogs as well as Tweets about suspicions of academic misconduct can spread quickly on social media sites like Twitter. The purpose of this paper is to examine two cases to expand the discussion about how complex post-publication peer review is and to contextualize the use of social media within this movement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines a Twitter-based exchange between an established pseudonymous blogger and science critic, Neuroskeptic, and Elizabeth Wager, the former COPE Chair, within a wider discussion of the use of social media in post-publication peer review. The paper also discusses false claims made on Twitter by another science watchdog, Leonid Schneider. The policies of 15 publishers related to anonymous or pseudonymous whistle-blowing are examined.FindingsFour issues in the Neuroskeptic–Wager case were debated: the solicitation by Wager to publish in RIPR; the use of commercial software by Neuroskeptic to make anonymous reports to journals; the links between “publication ethics” leaders and whistle-blowers or pseudonymous identities; the issues of transparency and possible hidden conflicts of interest. Only one publisher (Wiley) out of 15 scientific publishers examined claimed in its official ethical guidelines that anonymous reports should be investigated in the same way as named reports, while three publishers (Inderscience, PLOS and Springer Nature) referred to the COPE guidelines.Originality/valueNo such Twitter-based case has yet been examined in detail in the publishing ethics literature.