EHAZOP: A Proof of Concept Ethical Hazard Analysis of an Assistive Robot
Catherine Menon, Austen Rainer, Patrick Holthaus, Gabriella Lakatos, Silvio Carta
TL;DR
Assistive robots in homes raise ethical hazards related to privacy, autonomy, trust, and social impact. The paper introduces EHAZOP, a HAZOP-inspired ethical hazard analysis method that uses predefined guide words and structured discussions to surface hazards from user-expectation discrepancies. Through a proof-of-concept with the Ari robot, it identifies 21 ethical hazards, including novel concerns not fully captured by BS8611. The work demonstrates a practical, inclusive process to inform design and governance for domestic robotic systems and suggests pathways for broader adoption and comparison with other ethics tools.
Abstract
The use of assistive robots in domestic environments can raise significant ethical concerns, from the risk of individual ethical harm to wider societal ethical impacts including culture flattening and compromise of human dignity. It is therefore essential to ensure that technological development of these robots is informed by robust and inclusive techniques for mitigating ethical concerns. This paper presents EHAZOP, a method for conducting an ethical hazard analysis on an assistive robot. EHAZOP draws upon collaborative, creative and structured processes originating within safety engineering, using these to identify ethical concerns associated with the operation of a given assistive robot. We present the results of a proof of concept study of EHAZOP, demonstrating the potential for this process to identify diverse ethical hazards in these systems.