Human Factors & Ethics Canvas (Responsible AI & Addressing The Triple Bottom Line)

Abstract

Assessing the ethical implications of things which may not yet exist, or things which may have impacts we cannot predict, is very difficult. However, this should not be barrier to posing important questions and ensuring that these questions are addressed as part of the design process. Thinking about both potential positive, negative consequences and unintended consequences enables designers to build in protections into the design concept. Overall, it is argued that the specification of an ethics canvas as part of a broader human factors design approach ensures that ethical issues are considered