Technologies of the collective: a qualitative study on challenges and solutions for integrating ethics from an engineering perspective

Abstract

Robotic and artificial intelligence (AI) systems in industrial settings are becoming increasingly collaborative and interconnected. This shift raises complex ethical concerns, particularly regarding safety and security. While a growing number of ethics guidelines and frameworks are issued, they largely remain abstract and difficult to apply in practice. Concrete examples of challenges, practices and actionable solutions in industrial engineering are still scarce. This paper presents the findings of an empirical study conducted in Austria and the Netherlands, involving 29 qualitative data items. In contrast to most studies in robot ethics, this work exemplifies real-world practices of ethical engineering. It focuses on two key challenge dimensions: power and economic pressure, and accountability and governance. Concludingly, the paper proposes two practical solutions: the establishment of a new professional role, Ethical Robotic and AI Systems (EROS) integrators and the introduction of the governance concept of ‘technologies of the collective’ to facilitate successful ethics integration.