Ethics Committee for the Smart City
Municipalities implement ethics committees on technological developments in different ways. It is important that they do so in a way that matches what that municipality considers to be important, say researchers from USG and Fontys University of Applied Science Eindhoven in the report ‘Ethische Commissie voor de Slimme Stad. Van morele ambitie naar morele impact’. ('Ethical Commission for the Smart City. From moral ambition to moral impact.')
In the Netherlands, but also in other countries, we see the emergence of ethical committees for the smart city. As recently as 2020, the municipality of Enschede pioneered the first official ethics committee and now at least eleven Dutch municipalities have an organized body for ethics regarding data and technology.
The trigger is often an unethical design or application of technology with major social impact
The quality of techno-ethical decision-making
The creation of an ethics committee stems from a growing urgency to improve the quality of techno-ethical decision-making. The trigger is often an unethical design or application of technology with major social impact. Think of the infamous ‘Toeslagen’ scandal, but also camera systems in inner cities that raise questions about human rights, or linking data systems with possible discriminatory effects. Ethics committees are also emerging in other public sectors and levels of government, such as provinces, water boards and large executive organizations.
The creation of specific ethics committees for techno-ethical dilemmas in the smart city is a recent phenomenon. In other fields, the concept of ethics committees is more established. For example, ethics committees exist mainly in the medical sector, industry and research institutes. Municipal ethics committees can draw insights from these sectors, but face unique challenges and operate in a completely different context. Therefore, setting up ethics committees for smart cities requires special attention.
Design choices and roadmap for municipalities
The literature shows that several design choices determine the effectiveness of ethics committees:
- Composition of the committee: Does the ethics committee consist of outside experts, citizens or professionals from within the organisation?
- Organisational embedding: How is the ethics committee positioned within the municipal organization and what powers does it have?
- Method of operation: How does the ethics committee functions in terms of work process, mandate, casuistry, ethical frameworks used and output?
- Effect of recommendations: In what ways and to what extent do recommendations from the ethics committee lead to actual changes within the organisation?
The researchers have analysed the implementation of these various design choices and on this basis they present a roadmap with which municipalities can set to work.
Moreover, they also make some general recommendations that can be taken up at the supra-municipal level, for example by the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) or perhaps the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations:
- Make the public morality jurisprudence of all municipalities centrally available.
- Promote knowledge development between ethics committees.
- Explore the possibilities of ethics committees for multiple municipalities.
- Investigate the effectiveness of ethics committees.
Address informal and indirect impact
The researchers point out that it is important to pay attention to the informal and indirect aspects of the presence of an ethics committee. These can make decision-makers more aware of ethical issues and support officials in their ethical considerations. Especially in ethics committees that are close to municipal organisations, informal relationships play an important role. Accessible ethical conversations within the organisation can thus strengthen the quality of decision-making.
From experimentation to perpetuation
The current diversity in municipal practice offers many insights. A next step now is to connect, calibrate and consolidate these insights, and to perpetuate the presence of an ethics committee, the researchers write. In doing so, the necessary step can be taken toward embedding mature techno-moral decision-making in municipalities.
More information
This research was conducted by Albert Meijer and Erna Ruijer of the Utrecht University School of Governance (USG) and researcher Bart Wernaart of Fontys Centre of Expertise for Sustainable & Circular Transitions.
Read the full report ‘Ethische Commissie voor de Slimme Stad. Van morele ambitie naar morele impact.’ (‘Ethics Committee for the Smart City. From moral ambition to moral impact.')
Or contact Erna Ruijer: h.j.m.ruijer@uu.nl.