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HOW TO BUILD THE GOOD
AND RESPONSIBLE THING
PER AXBOM • DIGITAL ETHICIST AND COMMUNICATION THEORIST • AXBOM.COM
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6,400 kilometers
7,200 kilometers
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WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR
MAPS AND TOOLS INFLUENCE OUR
THINKING AND REASONING
AND PREJUDICE
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Road space taken up by 69 people
on a bus on bicycles in cars
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in fossil-fuel
cars
in electric
cars
in self-driving
cars
Road space taken up by 69 people
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Discover Define Develop Deliver
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Discover Define Develop Deliver
NORM / “MOST PEOPLE”
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Discover Define Develop Deliver
NORM / “MOST PEOPLE”
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Discover Define Develop Deliver
EDGE-CASE
EDGE-CASE
NORM / “MOST PEOPLE”
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MOST PROJECTS KEEP
BUILDING FOR THE AVERAGE,
NON-EXISTENT, PERSON
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We can not keep using the same maps
and expect negative impact to
suddenly disappear.
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Organisation
Machine
Society
The Elements of Digital Ethics
Un-
account-
ability
Digital
obfuscation
Power
concen-
tration
Mono-
culture
Naive
reckless-
ness
Algorithmic
injustice
Invisible
decision-
making
Psycho-
engineering
Techno-
solutionism
Surveillance
capitalism
Attention
economy
Rule of
Quantity
Rampant
harassment
Voice
suppression
Exclusion
Biometric
abuse
Behavior
suppression
Abuse
enable-
ment
Ecological
neglect
Privacy
devaluation
Human
Supply chain
neglect
Environment
CC-BY-NC-SA
Per Axbom • @axbom
Digital
gaslighting
Worker
endanger-
ment
Date • version
March 1, 2021 • 1.0
Latest + Hi-Res
axbom.com/elements
Unequal
access
Lack of
ethical
ownership
Ethics-
washing
Education
defects
Geographic
resistance
Regulation
defects
Permanent
impact
Supervision
Viral
repro-
duction
Private
public
spaces
online
AXBOM.COM/ELEMENTS
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Using design to influence people’s
behavior in a certain direction,
making it harder for them to act in
their own interest. The purpose is to
have people act in a way that
benefits the organisation regardless
of a persons’s own goals.
Related: Digital gaslighting - making
people think any harm is their own
fault.
BEHAVIOR SUPPRESSION
HUMAN
https://axbom.com/confirmshaming/
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Harm as a result of neglect,
unwillingness or inability to consider
how our creations a ect people’s
wellbeing, exclude them from
participation or in other ways mislead.
EXCLUSION
HUMAN
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Harm as a result of sensitive information
being managed in a way that helps a
third party use it for purposes other than
what the owners of the information have
consented to, or realise they have
consented to.
NAIVE RECKLESSNESS
ORGANISATION
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Harm that happens as a selection of
participants in a service harm others and
the people responsible for the platform
choose not to see or manage the
conflict.
RAMPANT HARASSMENT
SOCIETY
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Harm that takes place when
organisations do not take responsibility
for human welllbeing in the extended
ecosystem required to develop or use a
service or product.
SUPPLY CHAIN NEGLECT AND
ECOLOGICAL NEGLECT
ENVIRONMENT
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Harm happening as a result of
automated decision systems are
developed from a position of power and
based on information that is biased or
simply incorrect.
Since algorithms work faster than
humans, algorithmic injustice leads to
more e cient execution of harmful
decisions.
ALGORITHMIC INJUSTICE
MACHINE
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RULE OF QUANTITY
SOCIETY
This omnipresent state of mind implies
that if something can not be measured it
does not carry worth. And the
assumption that if something can be
measured, it is a clear indicator of worth.
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GETTING HURT “BY COMPUTERS” IS NOT NEW
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PEOPLE ARE
BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS.
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PEOPLE ARE
BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN.
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PEOPLE ARE
BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE.
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PEOPLE ARE
BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE.
Invisibly Visibly
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PEOPLE ARE
BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE.
Invisibly Visibly
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PEOPLE ARE
BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE.
AI.
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PEOPLE ARE
BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE.
AI.
Nah, it’s still people.
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THE WEAKNESSES OF
HUMAN REASONING
WHY WE KEEP MAKING MODELS AND
PROCESSES THAT THEN MISLEAD US
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Unconscious
Associative
Fast
Auto-pilot
SYSTEM 1
INTUITION AND INSTINCT
Takes e ort
Slow
Logical
Lazy
Indecisive
SYSTEM 2
RATIONAL THINKING
95%
5%
Popularised in Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
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A HAMBURGER AND A SODA TOGETHER
COST 22 SWISS FRANCS.
THE HAMBURGER COSTS 20 FRANCS
MORE THAN THE SODA.
WHAT DOES THE SODA COST?
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A HAMBURGER AND A SODA TOGETHER
COST 22 SWISS FRANCS.
21 + 1 = 22
THE SODA COSTS 1 SWISS FRANC. THE HAMBURGER
COSTS 20 FRANCS MORE THAN THAT (21).
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Recognise
your excuses
for employing
SYSTEM 1
IT
LOOKS
FINE
IT IS GOOD
ENOUGH FOR
NOW
IT IS NORMALLY
OK, THERE IS NO
NEED TO CHECK
IT IS NOT MY/OUR
RESPONSIBILITY
WE ALWAYS DO
IT THIS WAY
THIS WAY IS
QUICKER
YOU DECIDE…
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SUBMIT CLEAR
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MODELS CAN BE USEFUL. BUT
WE ALSO MUST ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT THEY ARE ALL WRONG.
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DESIGN INTRODUCES UNFAMILIARITY INTO AN EXISTING ECOSYSTEM.
WE DESIGN TO MAKE THE SYSTEM WORK DIFFERENTLY
THAN IT DID BEFORE.
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Physical
distancing
Hand-
washing
Population
immunity
Vaccine)
Virus
spread
Quarantine
Number of
infections
Lockdown
Number of
deaths
Close
gatherings
Health
system
overload
Medical
staff falling
ill
Mental
health
distress
Domestic
violence
Racist
attacks
False
reporting
Ignoring
health
advice
Cancelled
events
Market
closures
Lay-offs
Crime
Financial
distress
Drug
abuse
If A increases
then B increases
A B B
A
If A increases
then B decreases
The systemic complexity
of managing a pandemic
Social
unrest
Other
infections/
diseases
Examples of the factors at
play when looking at how to
mitigate spread of disease,
and how they may affect one
another. The idea is that each
factor must be evaluated
regularly to support
reflective reasoning when
making plans of action.
System map by Per Axbom
Note! This is an example, not
a complete picture.
version PA03
April, 2020
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Platforms designed to bring people closer
together are creating more hate and division. Platforms designed to make
people safer are putting people
in harms way.
Platforms designed to help people live
healthier lives are giving people anxiety.
Platforms designed for inspiration
and fun are hurting mental
wellbeing.
NEGATING THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE
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They say that if a butterfly flaps its wings in the
Amazonian rain forest, it can change the weather half a
world away.
If a web designer changes a button, it can change
wellbeing for millions of people across the world.
CLEAR
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WE WILL ALWAYS BE IN WORK SITUATIONS
WHERE THERE IS RISK OF DECISIONS THAT
ULTIMATELY HARM PEOPLE.
THIS MEANS WE HAVE TO WORK
PROACTIVELY TO MANAGE THE WEAKNESSES
OF OUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES.
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WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING BUILT THAT
BENEFITS MANY PEOPLE IT CAN ALSO HARM
OTHER PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME.
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THE DATA WE USE HARMS
PEOPLE
Black Hispanic White Asian
CIS-Men CIS-Women
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DATA IS RARELY “ANONYMOUS”
Black Hispanic White Asian
CIS-Men CIS-Women Transgender-men Transgender-women
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“My transgender student’s
legal name is showing on our
online discussion board. How
can I keep him from being
outed to his classmates?”
https://alistapart.com/article/trans-inclusive-design/
OUR SOURCE SYSTEMS ARE NOT
ALWAYS HELPFUL
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SPEAKING OF NAMES
I CAN SAFELY ASSUME THAT A
DICTIONARY OF BAD WORDS CONTAINS
NO PEOPLE’S NAMES IN IT
.
PEOPLE HAVE
EXACTLY X NAMES,
FOR ANY V
ALUE OF X.
PEOPLE HAVE EXACTLY
ONE FULL NAME WHICH
THEY GO BY.
PEOPLE’S NAMES ARE
WRITTEN IN ANY SINGLE
CHARACTER SET
.
PEOPLE’S NAMES ARE
NOT WRITTEN IN ALL
CAPS.
NO MILLION
PEOPLE SHARE THE
SAME FULL NAME.
PEOPLE HAVE NAMES.
https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-believe-about-names/
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https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160325-the-names-that-break-computer-systems
THE NULL FAMILY NAME
Radiolab episode
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IF NULL THEN…
IF “NULL” THEN…
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MAYBE YOU COULD CHANGE
YOUR NAME?
A very real suggestion from an insurance company
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IT IS GOOD
ENOUGH FOR
NOW
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THOSE ARE
JUST EDGE-
CASES, NOT THE
NORM
OTHERS ARE
ALREADY DOING IT
WE’VE DONE WHAT
WE CAN
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THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS
SPEAKING PARTNER WITH SUPERIOR
KNOWLEDGE IN ALL THIS, LET’S HOPE
THEY REACH OUT TO US…
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MEANWHILE, ON THE INTERNET
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iNcIdeNTS OF AIrtAg MISUse Are RaRE
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AT LEAST ROB CAN
FIND HIS KEYS
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NEW SERVICES AND APPS PROVIDE A
REMOTE CONTROL FOR ABUSE.
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO POLICE.
ONE MAIN ACCOUNT OWNER.
CAN CONTINUE LONG AFTER PEOPLE
“LEAVE” A RELATIONSHIP.
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PASSWORDS DO NOT KEEP
THINGS PRIVATE. OWNING
A DEVICE DOESN’T KEEP
OTHERS FROM USING IT.
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AS THE MAKERS OF DIGITAL
SERVICES AND PRODUCTS, WE
NEED TOOLS AND MAPS TO
MANAGE AND MITIGATE OUR
OWN WEAKNESSES
THESE PROBLEMS
ARE SOLVABLE
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Obvious potential for
negative impact
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Obvious potential for
negative impact
Negative impact only
discovered after it
happens
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Obvious potential for
negative impact
Negative impact only
discovered after it
happens
Negative impact predicted
by speculative, systematic
reasoning and strategic
foresight
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Obvious potential for
negative impact
Negative impact only
discovered after it
happens
Negative impact predicted
by speculative, systematic
reasoning and strategic
foresight
Negative impact predicted
by involving more people
with relevant experience
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IMPACT CARDS
Who? What? How?
Ability divergent
Age disfavored
Appearance disfavored
Crime/distress endurer
Ethnic minority
Faith disfavored
Gender disfavored
Illness endurer
Non-citizen
Racism endurer
Social class disfavored
Sexuality disfavored
Environment
Esteem
Finance
Health
Privacy
Relationships
Safety
Self-actualization
Self-worth
Social belonging
Dangerous defaults
False assumptions
False expectations
Excluded by design
External pressure
Lack of choice
Lack of knowledge
Lack of understanding
Sensory overload
Time constraints
version 0.9 of the cards
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1. PERSON
2. GOAL/PROBLEM
3. ENCOUNTER
Design/solution/product
4. CLIMAX
5. GAIN
STORYMAPPING
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1. PERSON
2. GOAL/PROBLEM
3. ENCOUNTER
Design/solution/product
4. CLIMAX/CRISIS
5. IMPACT/GAIN/LOSS
MAPPING THE OTHER STORY
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STORYMAPPING
1. PERSON
2. GOAL/PROBLEM
3. ENCOUNTER
Design/solution/product
4. CLIMAX
5. GAIN
36 yo developer
social anxiety
AI therapist app
Tries out exposure exercises
Makes a new friend
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MAPPING THE OTHER STORY
1. PERSON
2. GOAL/PROBLEM
3. ENCOUNTER
Design/solution/product
4. CLIMAX/CRISIS
5. IMPACT/GAIN/LOSS
Child
Abusive parents Never helped
Unloads on the AI therapist
AI therapist app
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INCLUSIVE PANDA
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participants
included
excluded unwanted
(non-participants)
negative impact
risk-zone
risk zone
INCLUSIVE PANDA
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participants
included
excluded unwanted
(non-participants)
negative impact
risk-zone
risk zone
INCLUSIVE PANDA
Use to under and effects on other
people than the target group.
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IMPACT MAPPING
How bad/severe is the
potential outcome?
How much do we contribute
through what we build?
How likely is it to happen?
How disadvantaged are the
people affected?
What?
Who?
people who want to
protect their identity
abusers/attackers find them
and hurt them
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IMPACT MAPPING
How bad/severe is the
potential outcome?
How much do we contribute
through what we build?
How likely is it to happen?
How disadvantaged are the
people affected?
What?
Who?
people who want to
protect their identity
abusers/attackers find them
and hurt them
Use to help your organisation under and
impact and prioritise activities
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Tarot cards of Tech
http://tarotcardsoftech.artefactgroup.com
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FRICTION Force considered decisions
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Prevent misuse / abuse
FRICTION
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You will find the password by reading the
welcome information carefully.
In this film you will find the password for logging
in to the booking system, 5 small characters. Your
username is in the confirmation e-mail.
Code of conduct explained
whilst giving out one letter of
the password every thirty
seconds.
FRICTION
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We need to do this.
Hang on, I’m concerned
about the impact of this
decision. Maybe you have
the answer.
ALTERNATIVE PATHS SHORT TERM / LONG TERM
ADDICTIVE CYCLES COST CONSIDERATION
THE OTHER STORY REPUTATION AND TRUST
PRE-SCRIPTING
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ETHICAL DILEMMAS
ARE LIKE BIRDS
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/technology-ethics/
Everywhere
Varied
Di cult to spot
Concentrated in
particular
environments
Easier to spot in groups
Can often be
anticipated if
you know
where/when
they tend to
show up
Guides and tools
can help
Noticed by people who are in
the habit of looking for them
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https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/technology-ethics/
GET INTO THE HABIT OF
LOOKING FOR THEM!
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https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/technology-ethics/
GET INTO THE HABIT OF
LOOKING FOR THEM!
Who is in the room and making the decisions?
Do we really need to ask for this data?
Am I sure the design pattern that worked over there also works here?
What faulty assumptions are we making?
Instead of making decisions FOR people, how could we actually
build something differently to support people in exercising their
autonomy and self-determination, to activate system 2 thinking?
Am I inside an environment that supports ethical reasoning?
Who do we need to talk to?
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promotes wellbeing
harmful to some
harmful to some
harmful to many
harmful to many
ETHICAL DESIGN IS NOT ABOUT STOPPING TECHNICAL
INNOVATION. IT’S ABOUT INFLUENCING ITS DIRECTION.
(WITH BETTER MAPS AND INDICATORS)
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promotes wellbeing
harmful to some
harmful to some
harmful to many
harmful to many
ETHICAL DESIGN IS NOT ABOUT STOPPING TECHNICAL
INNOVATION. IT’S ABOUT INFLUENCING ITS DIRECTION.
(WITH BETTER MAPS AND INDICATORS)
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PREDICTION:
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ALL COMPANIES WILL BE OUTPERFORMED
BY A MORE ETHICAL VERSION CATERING
TO THE EXACT SAME NEEDS.
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ALL COMPANIES WILL BE OUTPERFORMED
BY A MORE ETHICAL VERSION CATERING
TO THE EXACT SAME NEEDS.
YOU CAN DECIDE TO BE THAT
COMPANY.
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PER AXBOM
axbom.com
Remember t
o be kind
t
o yourself
Slides, links and
references
!
axbom.com/frontzurich