Operationalizing Human Values in the Requirements Engineering Process of Ethics-Aware Autonomous Systems

TL;DR

Problem: integrating plural, context-dependent human values into requirements engineering for autonomous systems is challenging. Approach: GORE integrates normative, functional, and adaptation goals within a goal-oriented RE framework and extends SLEEC with automated translation and analysis. Contributions: a three-way goal model, well-formedness checks via LEGOS-SLEEC, and a design-time negotiation workflow demonstrated on a Body Sensor Network case study. Impact: enables traceable, ethics-aware adaptation in safety-critical deployments with explicit value trade-offs and stakeholder accountability.

Abstract

Operationalizing human values alongside functional and adaptation requirements remains challenging due to their ambiguous, pluralistic, and context-dependent nature. Explicit representations are needed to support the elicitation, analysis, and negotiation of value conflicts beyond traditional software engineering abstractions. In this work, we propose a requirements engineering approach for ethics-aware autonomous systems that captures human values as normative goals and aligns them with functional and adaptation goals. These goals are systematically operationalized into Social, Legal, Ethical, Empathetic, and Cultural (SLEEC) requirements, enabling automated well-formedness checking, conflict detection, and early design-time negotiation. We demonstrate the feasibility of the approach through a medical Body Sensor Network case study.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Operationalization of Human Values in the Requirements Engineering Process of Ethics-Aware Autonomous Systems.
• Figure 2: Goal Model for the Body Sensor Network System.
• Figure 3: Situational conflict diagnosis.