Broadening our horizons: Digital technology, metatechnologies, and their implications for responsible innovation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5380/nocsi.v0i2.91152Keywords:
responsible innovation, Responsible Research Innovation (RRI), digital technology, metatechnology, critical hermeneuticsAbstract
This paper argues that responsible innovation discourses must consider the changing nature of digital innovation, if they are to stand a chance of steering the development of technology towards democratically-acceptable ends. It explores the extent to which foundational narratives of Responsible (Research and) Innovation (RRI) consider problematic features of metatechnologies – defined here as “core information technologies upon which others are based, and whose use vastly expands the degrees of freedom with which humans can act in the social and material worlds” – and implications for responsible innovation discourse in the digital age. The study finds that references underpinning paradigmatic RRI accounts include digital and metatechnology examples, albeit briefly in some cases, somewhat reinforcing the validity of seminal RRI accounts in the context of new and emerging digital technologies with metatechnological attributes. The need for additional reflection on the problematic implications of digital technologies for RRI is identified, for example with respect to distributed development, and recombinant and network-level effects. The paper concludes that the continuing value of RRI as a discourse to society will depend on researchers’ and practitioners’ awareness of the potential of these technologies for cascading, downstream innovation.
References
Abernathy, W. J., & Clark, K. B. (1985). Innovation: Mapping the winds of creative destruction. Research Policy, 14(1), 3-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-7333(85)90021-6
Arthur, W. B. (2009). The nature of technology: What it is and how it evolves (1. Free Press pbk. ed). Free Press.
Bautista, S., Mazaj, J., & Cárdenas, M. (2018). Developing RRI Practices: The Role of the ICT in Stakeholders’ Knowledge Exchange and Co-creation Processes. In F. Ferri, N. Dwyer, S. Raicevich, P. Grifoni, H. Altiok, H. T. Andersen, Y. Laouris, & C. Silvestri, Responsible Research and Innovation Actions in Science Education, Gender and Ethics (pp. 21-26). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73207-7_4
Beale, N., Battey, H., Davison, A. C., & MacKay, R. S. (2020). An unethical optimization principle. Royal Society Open Science, 7, 200462. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.200462
Berghel, H. (2018). Malice Domestic: The Cambridge Analytica Dystopia. Computer, 51(5), 84-89. https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2018.2381135
Bessant, J. (2013). Innovation in the Twenty-First Century. In R. Owen, J. Bessant, & M. Heintz (Eds.), Responsible Innovation (pp. 1-25). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118551424.ch1
Blok, V. (2020). What is Innovation? Laying the Ground for a Philosophy of Innovation. Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology, 25(1), 72-96. https://doi.org/10.5840/techne2020109129
Blok, V., & Lemmens, P. (2015). The Emerging Concept of Responsible Innovation. Three Reasons Why It Is Questionable and Calls for a Radical Transformation of the Concept of Innovation. 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17308-5_2
Borgogno, O., & Colangelo, G. (2019). Data sharing and interoperability: Fostering innovation and competition through APIs. Computer Law & Security Review, 35(5), 105314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clsr.2019.03.008
Braman, S. (Ed.). (2004). The Meta-Technologies of Information. In Biotechnology and communication: The meta-technologies of information (pp. 3-38). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Bross, I. D. J. (1981). Metatechnology: A technology for the safe, effective, and economical use of technology. Metamedicine, 2(2), 145-153. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00884419
Cressman, D. (2019). Disruptive Innovation and the Idea of Technology. Novation-Critical Studies of Innovation, 1(June), 18-40. http://www.novation.inrs.ca/index.php/novation/article/view/7
Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The second machine age: Work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies (First Edition). W. W. Norton & Company.
Cheong, M., Lederman, R., McLoughney, A., Njoto, S., Ruppanner, L., & Wirth, A. (2021). Ethical Implications of AI Bias as a Result of Workforce Gender Imbalance. University of Melbourne. https://about.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/186252/NEW-RESEARCH-REPORT-Ethical-Implications-of-AI-Bias-as-a-Result-of-Workforce-Gender-Imbalance-UniMelb,-UniBank.pdf
Christensen, C. M. (1997). The innovator’s dilemma: When new technologies cause great firms to fail. Harvard Business School Press.
Christensen, C., Raynor, M., & McDonald, R. (2015). What Is Disruptive Innovation? Harvard Business Review, December, 44-53.
Criado-Perez, C. (2020). Invisible women: Data bias in a world designed for men. Abrams.
Culot, G., Nassimbeni, G., Orzes, G., & Sartor, M. (2020). Behind the definition of Industry 4.0: Analysis and open questions. International Journal of Production Economics, 226, 107617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2020.107617
Dastin, J. (2018). Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women. Reuters, October 10. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-jobs-automation-insight/amazon-scraps-secret-ai-recruiting-tool-that-showed-bias-against-women-idUSKCN1MK08G
David, P. A., & Wright, G. (2006). The Economic Future in Historical Perspective. British Academy.
de Reuver, M., van Wynsberghe, A., Janssen, M., & van de Poel, I. (2020). Digital platforms and responsible innovation: Expanding value sensitive design to overcome ontological uncertainty. Ethics and Information Technology, 22(3), 257-267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-020-09537-z
European Commission. (2012a). Responsible Research and Innovation – Europe’s ability to respond to societal challenges (KI-31-12-921-EN-C). https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/2be36f74-b490-409e-bb60-12fd438100fe
European Commission. (2012b). Ethical and Regulatory Challenges to Science and Research Policy at the Global Level (KI-NA-25-101-EN-C). https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/84fc3de4-6641-4d9e-be58-9ca7da3d397b/language-en
European Commission. (2018). Re-Finding Industry. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/28e1c485-476a-11e8-be1d-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-116043022
European Commission. (2021). Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024. https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-law-and-publications/publication-detail/-/publication/3c6ffd74-8ac3-11eb-b85c-01aa75ed71a1
Feenberg, A. (2017). Technosystem: The social life of reason. Harvard University Press.
Fries, M.-H. (2018). Nanotechnology and the Gray Goo Scenario: Narratives of Doom? ILCEA, 31. https://doi.org/10.4000/ilcea.4687
George, G., Haas, M. R., & Pentland, A. (2014). Big Data and Management. Academy of Management Journal, 57(2), 321-326. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2014.4002
Gillin, P. (2020). Low-code and no-code tools may finally usher in the era of ‘citizen developers’. Silicon Angle, October 6. https://siliconangle.com/2020/10/06/low-code-no-code-tools-may-finally-usher-era-citizen-developers/
Glazer, R. (2007). Meta-Technologies and Innovation Leadership: Why There May Be Nothing New under the Sun. California Management Review, 50(1), 120-143. https://doi.org/10.2307/41166419
Godin, B. (2016). Technological Innovation: On the Origins and Development of an Inclusive Concept. Technology and Culture, 57(3), 527-556. https://doi.org/10.1353/tech.2016.0070
Grunwald, A. (2014). The hermeneutic side of responsible research and innovation. Journal of Responsible Innovation, 1(3), 274-291. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2014.968437
Grunwald, A. (2019). Responsible innovation in emerging technological practices. In R. von Schomberg & J. Hankins (Eds.), International Handbook on Responsible Innovation. A Global Resource (pp. 326-338). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784718862.00031
Grunwald, A. (2020). The objects of technology assessment. Hermeneutic extension of consequentialist reasoning. Journal of Responsible Innovation, 7(1), 96-112. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2019.1647086
Hoadley, C. M., Xu, H., Lee, J. J., & Rosson, M. B. (2010). Privacy as information access and illusory control: The case of the Facebook News Feed privacy outcry. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 9(1), 50-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2009.05.001
Hogendorn, C., & Frischmann, B. (2020). Infrastructure and general purpose technologies: A technology flow framework. European Journal of Law and Economics, 50(3), 469-488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10657-020-09642-w
Jirotka, M., Grimpe, B., Stahl, B., Eden, G., & Hartswood, M. (2017). Responsible research and innovation in the digital age. Communications of the ACM, 60(5), 62-68. https://doi.org/10.1145/3064940
Jonas, Hans (1979). Toward a Philosophy of Technology. Hastings Center Report, 9(1), 34-43.
Jovanovic, B., & Rousseau, P. L. (2005). General Purpose Technologies. In Handbook of Economic Growth (Vol. 1, pp. 1181-1224). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1574-0684(05)01018-X
Kagermann, H., Wolf-Dieter, L., & Walster, W. (2011). Industrie 4.0: Mit dem Internet der Dinge auf dem Weg zur 4. Industriellen Revolution. VDI Nachtrichten, 13(2). https://www.dfki.de/fileadmin/user_upload/DFKI/Medien/News_Media/Presse/Presse-Highlights/vdinach2011a13-ind4.0-Internet-Dinge.pdf
Kendall, K. E. (1997). The Significance of Information Systems Research on Emerging Technologies: Seven Information Technologies that Promise to Improve Managerial Effectiveness. Decision Sciences, 28(4), 775-792. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5915.1997.tb01331.x
Kimmel, L., & Kestenbaum, J. (2014). What’s Up with WhatsApp? A Transatlantic View on Privacy and Merger Enforcement in Digital Markets. Antitrust, 29, 48-54.
Koksal, I. (2019). The Rise Of Low-Code App Development. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ilkerkoksal/2020/04/29/the-rise-of-low-code-app-development/?sh=4fc5d8186807
Loureiro, P. M., & Conceição, C. P. (2019). Emerging patterns in the academic literature on responsible research and innovation. Technology in Society, 58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2019.101148
Marin, L. (2011). Is Europe Turning into a ‘Technological Fortress’? Innovation and Technology for the Management of EU’s External Borders: Reflections on FRONTEX and EUROSUR. In M. A. Heldeweg & E. Kica (Eds.), Regulating Technological Innovation (pp. 131-151). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230367456_8
Meyrowitz, J. (1995). Mediating Communication: What Happens? In J. Downing, A. Mohammadi, A. Sreberney-Mohammadi (Eds.), Questioning the Media: A Critical Introduction. Sage Publications
Mitcham, C. (1995). Notes toward a Philosophy of Meta-Technology. Society for Philosophy and Technology Quarterly Electronic Journal, 1(1), 13-17. https://doi.org/10.5840/techne199511/25
Miller, C., & Ohrvik-Stott, J. (2018). Regulating for Responsible Technology—Capacity, Evidence and Redress: A New System for a Fairer Future. Doteveryone. https://doteveryone.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Doteveryone-Regulating-for-Responsible-Tech-Report.pdf
Moor, J. H. (1985). What is Computer Ethics? Metaphilosophy, 16(4), 266-275. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9973.1985.tb00173.x
Nordrum, A. (2016). Popular Internet of Things Forecast of 50 Billion Devices by 2020 Is Outdated. IEEE Spectrum. https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/internet/popular-internet-of-things-forecast-of-50-billion-devices-by-2020-is-outdated
Owen, R., & Pansera, M. (2019). Responsible Innovation: Process and Politics. In R. von Schomberg, & J. Hankins (Eds.), International Handbook on Responsible Innovation: A Global Resource (pp. 35-48). Elgar Publishing.
Owen, Richard. (2019). Responsible Innovation and Responsible Research and Innovation. In D. Simon, S. Kuhlmann, J. Stamm, & W. Canzler (Eds.), Handbook on Science and Public Policy (pp. 26-48). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784715946.00010
Ribeiro, B. E., Smith, R. D. J., & Millar, K. (2017). A Mobilising Concept? Unpacking Academic Representations of Responsible Research and Innovation. Science and Engineering Ethics, 23, 81–103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-016-9761-6
Rip, A., & Voß, J.-P. (2013). Umbrella Terms as a Conduit in The Governance of Emerging Science and Technology. Science, Technology & Innovation Studies, 9(2), 39-60.
Silver, A. (2017). Software simplified. Nature, 546(7656). https://www.nature.com/news/software-simplified-1.22059
Simakova, E., & Coenen, C. (2013). Visions, Hype, and Expectations: A Place for Responsibility. In R. Owen, J. Bessant, & M. Heintz (Eds.), Responsible Innovation (pp. 241-267). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118551424.ch13
Stahl, B. C. (2013). Responsible research and innovation: The role of privacy in an emerging framework. Science and Public Policy, 40(6), 708-716. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/sct067
Stahl, B. C. (2021). Artificial intelligence for a better future: An ecosystem perspective on the ethics of AI and emerging digital technologies. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69978-9
Stahl, B. C., Borsella, E., Porcari, A., & Mantovani, E. (2019). Responsible innovation in ICT: Challenges for industry. In R. von Schomberg, & J. Hankins (Eds.), International Handbook on Responsible Innovation. A Global Resource (pp. 367-378). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784718862.00034
Stilgoe, J., Owen, R., & Macnaghten, P. (2013). Developing a framework for responsible innovation. Research Policy, 42(9), 1568-1580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2013.05.008
Timmermans, J., & Blok, V. (2018). A critical hermeneutic reflection on the paradigm-level assumptions underlying responsible innovation. Synthese, 198, 4635-4666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-018-1839-z
Vallenilla, E. M. (1999). From Meta-Technology to Ecology. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 19(5), 411-415. https://doi.org/10.1177/027046769901900509
Van De Poel, I. (2003). The transformation of technological regimes. Research Policy, 32(1), 49-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(01)00195-0
van den Hoven, J. (2013). Value Sensitive Design and Responsible Innovation. In R. Owen, J. Bessant, & M. Heintz (Eds.), Responsible Innovation: Managing the Responsible Emergence of Science and Innovation in Society (pp. 75-83). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
van den Hoven, J. (2017). The Design Turn in Applied Ethics. In J. van den Hoven, S. Miller, & T. Pogge (Eds.), Designing in Ethics (1st ed., pp. 11-31). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9780511844317.002
von Schomberg, L., & Blok, V. (2019). Technology in the Age of Innovation: Responsible Innovation as a New Subdomain Within the Philosophy of Technology. Philosophy & Technology, 34, 309-323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-019-00386-3
von Schomberg, R. (2013). A Vision of Responsible Research and Innovation. In R. Owen, J. Bessant, & M. Heintz (Eds.), Responsible Innovation: Managing the Responsible Emergence of Science and Innovation in Society (pp. 51-74). John Wiley & Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118551424.ch3
Wakunuma, K., de Castro, F., Jiya, T., Inigo, E. A., Blok, V. & Bryce, V. (2021). Reconceptualising responsible research and innovation from a Global South perspective. Journal of Responsible Innovation, 8(2), 267-291. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2021.1944736.
Winfield, A. F., Michael, K., Pitt, J., & Evers, V. (2019). Machine Ethics: The Design and Governance of Ethical AI and Autonomous Systems [Scanning the Issue]. Proceedings of the IEEE, 107(3), 509-517. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2019.2900622
Wolf, M. J., Miller, K. W., & Grodzinsky, F. S. (2019). On the responsibility for uses of downstream software. In D. E. Wittkower (Ed.), Computer Ethics – Philosophical Enquiry (CEPE) Proceedings (14 pp.). https://doi.org/10.25884/7576-WD27
Wright, G. (2000). Book Reviews – General Purpose Technologies and Economic Growth. Journal of Economic Literature, 38(1), 161-162. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.38.1.115
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
NOvation is an open-access journal under a Creative Commons – CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 license, which allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement (and preservation) of the author's authorship and intellectual property rights.
To this extent, the authors who publish in this journal agree with the following terms:
1. Authors retain the rights and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work published under the Creative Commons – CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 that allows [...].
2. Authors have authorization for distribution, of the version of the work published in this journal, in an institutional repository, thematic, databases and in other works as a book chapter, with acknowledgement of authorship and initial publication in the journal;
3. Papers published in this journal will be indexed in databases, repositories, portals, directories and other sources in which the journal is and will be indexed.
Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
This journal is committed to upholding the integrity of the scientific record.
Consent to submit has been received explicitly from all co-authors, as well as from the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before the work is submitted.
