Alle Publikationen
2018
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(2018): Long-term cohabitation with a social robot: A case study of the influence of human attachment patterns. In: International Journal of Social Robotics 10 (1), S. 163-176. DOI: 10.1007/s12369-017-0439-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-017-0439-2 Abstract: This paper presents the methodology, setup and results of a study involving long-term cohabitation with a fully autonomous social robot. During the experiment, three people with different attachment styles (as defined by John Bowlby) spent ten days each with an EMYS type robot, which was installed in their own apartments. It was hypothesized that the attachment patterns represented by the test subjects influence the interaction. In order to provide engaging and non-schematic actions suitable for the experiment requirements, the existing robot control system was modified, which allowed EMYS to become an effective home assistant. Experiment data was gathered using the robot’s state logging utility (during the cohabitation period) and in-depth interviews (after the study). Based on the analyzed data, it was concluded that the satisfaction stemming from prolonged cohabitation and the assessment of robot’s operation depend on the user’s attachment style. Results lead to first robot’s behavior personalization guidelines for different user’s attachment patterns. The study confirmed readiness of a EMYS robot for satisfying, autonomous, and long-term cohabitation with users. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2018): Tomorrow’s human–machine design tools: From levels of automation to interdependencies. In: Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making 12 (1), S. 77-82. DOI: 10.1177/1555343417736462
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1555343417736462 Abstract: The growth of sophistication in machine capabilities must go hand in hand with growth of sophistication in human–machine interaction capabilities. To continue advancement as we build today’s intelligent machines, designers need formative tools for creating sociotechnical systems. In this article, we will briefly assess the appropriateness of ’levels of automation’ as a tool for designing human–machine systems. Additionally, we present coactive design and interdependence analysis as a viable alternative tool moving forward into more advanced and sophisticated human–machine systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Keywords: Angemessen(heit) (von Technik), Automation, cognitive engineering, Collaboration, design methods, Human Factors Engineering, Human Machine Systems, Human Machine Systems Design, Human robot interaction, human–automation interaction, human–computer interaction, Human–robot interaction, level of automation, Systems Design, team design, technology -
(2018): "It's all about incentive": Social technology as a potential facilitator for self-determined physical activity participation for young people with physical disabilities. In: Developmental neurorehabilitation 21 (8), S. 521-530. DOI: 10.1080/17518423.2017.1370501
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17518423.2017.1370501 Abstract: PURPOSE To investigate the perceived role of social technologies in promoting physical activity participation for young people with physical disabilities and to identify design considerations that should be addressed when creating social technologies to promote physical activity. METHOD Interactive design workshops for young people with physical disabilities aged 12-18 (n = 8) were held. Data were analyzed using interpretive thematic analysis. RESULTS Young people perceived significant benefit for social technologies to promote physical activity as they have the potential to overcome many barriers to physical activity participation. Design features recommended by the participants included (1) options for diverse interests and preferences, (2) provision of informational support, (3) support through equitable technology design, (4) incentive through competition and play, and (5) opportunities to develop community. CONCLUSIONS Social technology has potential to provide tailored, equitable opportunities for social engagement and physical activity participation for young people with physical disabilities through needs- and preference-specific design.
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(2018): The Perils and Promises of Self-Disclosure on Social Media. In: Information Systems Frontiers 20 (3), S. 425-437. DOI: 10.1007/s10796-017-9806-7
Abstract: In addition to their professional social media accounts, individuals are increasingly using their personal profiles and casual posts to communicate their identities to work colleagues. They do this in order to 'stand out from the crowd' and to signal attributes that are difficult to showcase explicitly in a work setting. Existing studies have tended to treat personal posts viewed in a professional context as a problem, since they can threaten impression management efforts. These accounts focus on the attempts of individuals to separate their life domains on social media. In contrast, we present the narratives of professional IT workers in India who intentionally disrupt the boundaries between personal and professional profiles in order to get noticed by their employers. Drawing on the dramaturgical vocabulary of Goffman (1959) we shed light on how individuals cope with increased levels of self-disclosure on social media. We argue that their self-presentations can be likened to post-modem performances in which the traditional boundaries between actor and audience are intentionally unsettled. These casual posts communicate additional personal traits that are not otherwise included in professional presentations. Since there are no strict boundaries between formal front-stage and relaxed back-stage regions in these types of performance, a liminal mental state is often used, which enables a better assessment of the type of information to present on social media.
Keywords: Art des Kommunikationsmediums, Blurred boundaries, Business Studies, Communication, Facebook, Goffman, Goffman KeyWords Plus:IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT, Image, Inference, INNOVATION, Konstruktion des Selbst, NETWORKING SITES, ORGANIZATIONS, Self-presentation, social media, SYSTEMS, technology, Theory of interaction (Goffman), Verhalten am Arbeitsplatz, WORK -
(2018): Ethical adoption: A new imperative in the development of technology for dementia. In: Alzheimer’s & Dementia 14 (9), S. 1104-1113. DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.04.012
DOI: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1552526018301390 Abstract: Introduction Technology interventions are showing promise to assist persons with dementia and their carers. However, low adoption rates for these technologies and ethical considerations have impeded the realization of their full potential. Methods Building on recent evidence and an iterative framework development process, we propose the concept of “ethical adoption”: the deep integration of ethical principles into the design, development, deployment, and usage of technology. Results Ethical adoption is founded on five pillars, supported by empirical evidence: (1) inclusive participatory design; (2) emotional alignment; (3) adoption modelling; (4) ethical standards assessment; and (5) education and training. To close the gap between adoption research, ethics and practice, we propose a set of 18 practical recommendations based on these ethical adoption pillars. Discussion Through the implementation of these recommendations, researchers and technology developers alike will benefit from evidence-informed guidance to ensure their solution is adopted in a way that maximizes the benefits to people with dementia and their carers while minimizing possible harm.
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(2018): Design for social accessibility: Incorporating social factors in the design of accessible technologies. ProQuest Information & Learning.
Abstract: Assistive technologies are intended to help people with disabilities accomplish everyday tasks. Yet, such technologies are traditionally designed mainly with functionality in mind, not with consideration for social situations of use. As a result, assistive technologies can be awkward-looking and socially awkward to use, leading to misperceptions about these technologies and their users. These misperceptions can impact users’ sense of self-efficacy and self-confidence, leading assistive technology users to feel self-conscious when using devices in public or social settings, ultimately limiting access. Furthermore, most technology design approaches either assume accessibility is ’someone else’s job’ or that functional accessibility is the only focus, promoting an inclination to overlook accessibility in design overall and preventing designers from fully considering social aspects of accessibility. In this dissertation, I present original empirical studies that investigate the social implications of assistive technology use. I conceptualize ’socially accessible design,’ and examine how to effectively incorporate social factors into user-centered design techniques. To address the negative and stigmatizing social perceptions associated with assistive technologies, I define Social Accessibility as a new property of accessible technologies extending our understanding of accessibility to include considerations of both functional usability and social situations of use. I present Design for Social Accessibility as a guiding perspective and a set of design tools and techniques emphasizing social factors in technology design. Through a series of design workshops, I demonstrate how designers can use Design for Social Accessibility by: focusing on functional usability and social situations of use; increasing awareness for how design can engender, rather than impede, access for people with visual impairments, particularly within social contexts; and working with users with and without visual impairments in assessing when design influences self-confidence and self-consciousness. In this dissertation, I: (1) define social accessibility as a new property of technology artifacts that extends accessibility to include functional and social factors; (2) demonstrate that Design for Social Accessibility can help improve the design of technologies usable by people with visual impairments when applied to design methods by bringing awareness to designers about how design engenders or impedes access in functional and social factors of use; and (3) develop and verify a tool that can help designers assess the social accessibility of technology design. The contributions of this dissertation are conceptual‐-motivating the need for, and defining social accessibility and how it relates to functional accessibility; and empirical and methodological‐-showing how social factors influence assistive technology use and access, and applying findings to increase awareness, change perspectives, and improve tools and techniques for the design of socially accessible technologies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2018): Exceptional technologies. A continental philosophy of technology. London: Bloomsbury Academic
Abstract: "A discussion of the rapidly growing field, from a thinker at the forefront of research at the interface of technology and the humanities, this is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary developments in Continental philosophy and philosophy of technology. Philosophy of technology regularly draws on key thinkers in the Continental tradition, including Husserl, Heidegger, and Foucault. Yet because of the problematic legacy of the 'empirical turn', it often criticizes 'bad' continental tendencies - lyricism, pessimism, and an outdated view of technology as an autonomous, transcendental force. This misconception is based on a faulty image of Continental thought, and in addressing it Smith productively redefines our concept of technology. By closely engaging key texts, and by examining 'exceptional technologies' such as imagined, failed, and impossible technologies that fall outside philosophy of technology's current focus, this book offers a practical guide to thinking about and using continental philosophy and philosophy of technology. It outlines and enacts three key characteristics of philosophy as practiced in the continental tradition: close reading of the history of philosophy; focus on critique; and openness to other disciplinary fields. Smith deploys the concept of exceptional technologies to provide a novel way of widening discussion in philosophy of technology, navigating the relationship between philosophy of technology and Continental philosophy; the history of both these fields; the role of imagination in relation to technologies; and the social function of technologies themselves."--Bloomsbury Publishing
2017
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(2017): The human element: Social leveraging of user engagement with assisted living technology. In: Interacting with Computers 29 (3), S. 438-454
Abstract: Research into user engagement with assisted living technology (ALT) has investigated design issues including usability, functionality and aesthetics; looked at user attitude and acceptance research; and examined social factors including the need to create ALT which appropriately supports the relationship between users and service providers. Based on an empirical case study of older persons’ independent living services offered by a large UK housing provider, we propose that there is a further, key dimension of ALT user engagement: social leveraging. We show how user engagement with key ALT including personal pendant alarms, pull cords and intercoms is shaped and supported in important ways by the ongoing social interaction of residents and skilled staff at independent living schemes. We discuss implications of social leveraging for reconsidering the importance of human resource as part of independent living services, during a time of transition to new technological models, and in light of current funding and organizational priorities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2017): User interface based on natural interaction design for seniors. In: Computers in Human Behavior 75, S. 147-159. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.011 Abstract: With world population ageing, how to help seniors to adapt to technology life is an important issue. Technology is becoming life rather than resistance, because many of the technology applications are often accompanied by a lot of information to process. This makes the user interface to become an important bridge between human computer interactions. Especially the inconvenience caused by human ageing, these related issues from the cognitive and operational of products are derived. This study proposes a study of user interface design based on natural interaction to increase seniors’ usage intention. In the proposed contents, the Kinect sensor is used to retrieve seniors’ in-depth information in movements, thus the user interface of system can be operated by the gesture intuitively. In the framework of the system, in the first all, the morphology is applied to identify the features of a hand from depth values obtained from the sensor. Gesture is used to recognize operating behavior of users to implement the interactive action, and collision detection is applied to confirm effectiveness of operation. On the other hand, through interpretive structural model (ISM), each design element of interactive interface can be decomposed and realized, and the solution for target and direction of design problem is also proposed. At the meanwhile, the concept of affordance is conducted to the development of interface for graphic users that proposed in this study, and the design achievement contains operation and usability of intuition can further be acquired. Finally, based on the proposed methodology, an intuitive user interface of digital devices is constructed by Java programming language that allows for verifying the feasibility of user interface for seniors. Besides, the proposed method can be widely used to develop the user interface for various products. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2017): Toward an intelligent long-term assistance for people with dementia in the context of navigation in indoor environments : Intelligente Langzeit-Unterstützung für Menschen mit Demenz im Kontext der Navigation in Gebäuden. In: Universität Würzburg, Graduate School of Science and Technology
Abstract: Designed and examined a system for indoor environments for people with moderate to severe dementia, who are unable or reluctant to use smartphone technology. To this end, a series of 10 studies was conducted with total of 35 adults with dementia. In the first step, a user-centered design approach was adopted to gather context and requirements of people with dementia in order to understand needs and difficulties (especially in spatial disorientation and wayfinding problems) experienced in dementia care facilities. Then, an "Implicit Interactive Intelligent (III) Environment" for people with dementia was proposed emphasizing implicit interaction and natural interface. The backbone of this III Environment is based on supporting orientation and navigation tasks with three systems: a monitoring system, an intelligent system, and a guiding system. The monitoring system and intelligent system automatically detect and interpret the locations and activities performed by the users i.e. people with dementia. This approach (implicit input) reduces cognitive workload as well as physical workload on the user to provide input. The intelligent system is also aware of context, predicts next situations (location, activity), and decides when to provide an appropriate service to the users. The guiding system with intuitive and dynamic environmental cues (lighting with color) has the responsibility for guiding the users to the places they need to be. Overall, three types of a monitoring system with Ultra-Wideband and iBeacon technologies, different techniques and algorithms were implemented for different contexts of use. They showed a high user acceptance with a reasonable price as well as decent accuracy and precision. In the intelligent system, models were built to recognize the users' current activity, detect the erroneous activity, predict the next location and activity, and analyze the history data, detect issues, notify them and suggest solutions to caregivers via visualized web interfaces. Regarding the guiding systems, five studies were conducted to test and evaluate the effect of lighting with color on people with dementia. The results were promising. Although several components of III Environment in general and three systems, in particular, are in place (implemented and tested separately), integrating them all together and employing this as a fully properly evaluation with formal stakeholders (people with dementia and caregivers) need to be examined in future research.
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(2017) : Designing technology for older adults: Augmenting usefulness and usability via cognitive support In: Kwon, Sunkyo: Gerontechnology: Research, practice, and principles in the field of technology and aging: New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, S. 389-416
Abstract: To fully explore why age discrepancies in technology use have been observed, we describe how older adults conceptualize usefulness and how usability can be empirically measured. Because cognitive changes that co-occur with age can influence technology-related task performance, which in turn may either augment or reduce perceived usefulness and usability, we also discuss the importance of designing technology to provide cognitive and environmental support. Such supportive design is key in developing technology that older adults want to use, which furthers understanding of how age-related cognitive changes should be considered during the technology design process. Furthermore, this approach identifies research questions that should benefit from further empirical investigation. We focus on what is known about three predictor variables (i.e., usefulness, usability, and cognition) that deserve special consideration when designing technology for older adults’ use. To accomplish this goal, three approaches with examples are described in this chapter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2017): The Body, Technology and Translation. Mapping the Complexity of Online Embodiment. In: Sociological Research Online 22 (2), S. 1-13. DOI: 10.5153/sro.4322
Abstract: This theoretical article considers the potential for a revival of sociological interest in online embodiment by developing a conceptual alternative to the predominant framework of self-presentation, and showing how social theory may benefit from exploration of this field. It starts by critically reviewing the discussion on online embodiment, pointing out its theoretical shortcomings, and arguing that they result from the difficulty that social theory has with accounting for the increased ontological complexity of embodiment induced by the pervasiveness of digital technologies. Treating a theory of practice as an inspiring perspective, it then adapts the notion of translation as a general term capable of grasping the complex relationships between physical bodies, digital technologies, reflexive selves and the social aspects of online embodiment. An important advantage of this concept is that it makes it possible to see the role of technology as constitutive without losing the sociological perspective, and encompasses a wide range of contemporary body-technology interactions. Furthermore, it also has the potential to foster a sociological understanding of the relationships between bodily, technological, mindful and social elements, and to do so without slipping into reductionism.
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(2017): On the mode of existence of technical objects. Washington: Univocal Publishing
2016
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(2016): Robotic faces: Exploring dynamical patterns of social interaction between humans and robots. ProQuest Information & Learning.
Abstract: The purpose of this dissertation is two-fold: 1) to develop an empirically-based design for an interactive robotic face, and 2) to understand how dynamical aspects of social interaction may be leveraged to design better interactive technologies and/or further our understanding of social cognition. Understanding the role that dynamics plays in social cognition is a challenging problem. This is particularly true in studying cognition via human-robot interaction, which entails both the natural social cognition of the human and the ’artificial intelligence’ of the robot. Clearly, humans who are interacting with other humans (or even other mammals such as dogs) are cognizant of the social nature of the interaction‐-their behavior in those cases differs from that when interacting with inanimate objects such as tools. Humans (and many other animals) have some awareness of ’social’, some sense of other agents. However, it is not clear how or why. Social interaction patterns vary across culture, context, and individual characteristics of the human interactor. These factors are subsumed into the larger interaction system, influencing the unfolding of the system over time (i.e. the dynamics). The overarching question is whether we can figure out how to utilize factors that influence the dynamics of the social interaction in order to imbue our interactive technologies (robots, clinical AI, decision support systems, etc.) with some ’awareness of social’, and potentially create more natural interaction paradigms for those technologies. In this work, we explore the above questions across a range of studies, including lab-based experiments, field observations, and placing autonomous, interactive robotic faces in public spaces. We also discuss future work, how this research relates to making sense of what a robot ’sees’, creating data-driven models of robot social behavior, and development of robotic face personalities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2016): Personhood and social robotics. A psychological consideration. London: Routledge (Explorations in social psychology series)
2015
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(2015): Determining the effects of technological tool use habits on social lives. In: Computers in Human Behavior 48, S. 457-462. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.012
Abstract: Differences have arisen between newly developed technology and the consequently changing generation’s integration of this technology into their social lives. In this study, research has been undertaken on students who use many different kinds of technological devices all together and their effects on their social lives. Also, students’ habits of technological device use, social media, educational life and communication types are discussed in this study. The general scanning model was used in the study in order to determine the effects of students’ technological device use on their social lives. These students are studying in educational departments at universities. The method determined was applied to the sampling group of the research. The questionnaire was determined in accordance with the method and was applied to all the educational faculties of universities during the scanning process. A total of 2334 students participated to the research. When the research findings were analysed in terms of friend choice, the students preferred communicating with people who use technology of the same quality as themselves. Also, the students claimed that they went through some problems with their families and friends as a result of intense technology use. It is obvious that students who spend more time on technological devices are more behind in their lessons and also have some inconveniences in their social lives. For instance; even when they go to the cinema they surf the Internet on their smart phones and while choosing a place to go they prefer places with a Wi–Fi connection. It has been observed that students can express themselves more easily in the Internet environment and they prefer places that are popular on the Internet. zitiert von 18
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(2015) : Psychological aspects of technology interacting with humans In: Sundar, S. S.: The handbook of the psychology of communication technology: Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell (Handbooks in communication and media), S. 176-201
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118426456.ch8 Abstract: This chapter describes a large number of sometimes complex studies that in unison have led to the production of a reliable, serviceable sometimes stern but fair care robot. The initial summary of studies is necessary to understand what the smart, sensitive, creative, and moral humanoid that interacts with its human user is actually based upon: Its core is driven by the model called Perceiving and Experiencing Fictional Characters (PEFiC), the interactive variant of which (I-PEFiC) received a module to make affective decisions (ADM). An integration of I-PEFICADM with prevailing emotion models led to the Silicon Coppélia model. Silicon Coppélia, then, was extended by a system for moral reasoning (Moral Coppélia) and is now in the process to become creative (ACASIA) and have an understanding of reality in contrast to fiction (Epistemics of the Virtual). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2015) : Technology and Social Control In: Wright, James D.: International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition): Oxford: Elsevier, S. 117-124
Abstract: One aspect of modernization is the use of science-based technology in rule enforcement. In the ‘engineered society,’ an ethos of rationalization is seen in the application of means to ends. The events of 11 September 2001, and the war on terror have brought increased attention to the question, but the increased use of technical means for control reflects continuity rather than disjuncture. Six social control strategies are discussed and illustrated: target removal, target devaluation, target insulation, offender incapacitation, offender exclusion, and identification of offenses and offenders. In complex settings in a democratic society, relying primarily on technology to control human behavior has clear social and ethical limitations. The technology's narrowing of focus may come at a cost of failing to see larger systemic contexts, alternatives, and longer range consequences. The complexity and fluidity of human situations makes this a rich area for the study of trade-off, irony, and paradox. There are some parallels to iatrogenic medical practices in which one problem is cured, but at a cost of creating another. Technical efforts to ensure conformity may be hindered by conflicting goals, unintended consequences, displacement, lessened equity, complacency, neutralization, invalidity, escalation, system overload, a negative image of personal dignity and the danger of the means determining, or becoming ends. zitiert von 39
Keywords: Deviance, Dignity, Manipulation, Means–ends relations, Medien, Mensch-Technik-Relation, Police, RATIONALITY, rules, science direct, social control, Social engineering, surveillance, Suspect weakening, System overload, Target hardening, technology, Unintended consequences, Verhaltensforschung 2014
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(2014) : Safety and ethical issues in the development of human assistive robots In: Sankai, Yoshiyuki; Suzuki, Kenji; Hasegawa, Yasuhisa (Hg.): Cybernics: Fusion of human, machine and information systems: New York, NY: Springer Science + Business Media, S. 299-313
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54159-2_15 Abstract: Recent advances in robot technology have led to the practical use of various human assistive robots. With the increase in such robots, there comes a demand to establish a social system that ensures the safety of the users and protects trial subjects. In this chapter we give an overview of the safety and ethical issues in the development of human assistive robots. We first describe the recent standardization activities for the safety of human assistive robots. We next discuss an ethical issue in the development of robots and introduce our proposed stepwise development process for protection of trial subjects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
2013
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(2013) : Human robots and robotic humans In: Koops, Bert-Jaap; Lüthy, Christoph H.; Nelis, Annemiek; Sieburgh, Carla; Jansen, J. P. M.; Schmid, Monika S. (Hg.): Engineering the human: Human enhancement between fiction and fascination: New York, NY: Springer-Verlag Publishing, S. 83-100
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35096-2_7 Abstract: Humans and machines are, at present, viewed as two distinct categories differentiated by their unique biological or artificial configuration and capabilities. This chapter argues that the two will, in the near future, increasingly partake of the nature of the other as a result of technological enhancement. A number of recent developments within the field of robotics are already causing the traditional boundaries between humans and machines to fade, both as a result of mankind’s increasing reliance on modern technology and of technological developments which allow modern machines to imitate human behavior to a high degree. Modern technology thus has the potential to aid and even modify the human organism by artificial means. The construction of such advanced forms of humanoid machines, or ’androids’, requires a reconceptualisation of what makes humans characteristically human, as well as requiring us to pay attention to the potential consequences of constructing such humanlike machines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
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Kassung, Christian; Macho, Thomas (Hg.) (2013): Kulturtechniken der Synchronisation. Wilhelm Fink GmbH & Co. Verlags-KG. München; Paderborn: Wilhelm Fink (Kulturtechnik). Online verfügbar unter http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=41549
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(2013): Cyborgs and the future of the human spirit. In: Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe (53.4), S. 546-557
Abstract: This article reports on the influence of an important project of our time, the creation of thinking machines or cyborgs, on the essence of human spirituality. The popular work of Kurzweil was used as a starting point. Kurzweil believes that the cyborgs or man-machine hybrids will not only be a simulation of human cognition but also of consciousness and spirituality. In fact, they will be more than a simulation; they will enhance and alter consciousness and spirituality in a radical, unfathomable way. The basis of Kurzweil's argument is his law of accelerating returns, which predicts such a progress in technology that, if an algorithm for the working of the brain can be formulated, it will be possible to develop software emulating the conscious brain. In this way, current limitations experienced by human beings, including mortality, will be overcome. This assumption was investigated from an anthropological view using Janicaud's concepts. The cyborg is seen as an illustration of people's innate desire to overcome the human condition. Humanity is characterised by a constant struggle to find a balance between the superhuman and the inhuman as the extreme states of human spirituality. This also characterises human liberty humans are free to choose. Given this characterisation of humanity, the nature of the cyborg as superhuman is then considered. Different possibilities are sketched: the superhuman who will exercise the pure will to power (awakening the inhuman) or a person with a complete naive freedom. The future is not easy to predict. Janicaud considers the view of the cyborg as superhuman to be a myth. The real danger facing humanity is the inhuman. The growth and progress of technology do not guarantee moral progress. Currently, technology seems to create a sharp divide between a privileged few and the rest. The two world wars in the previous century illustrated ways in which technology could be used to commit cold-blooded barbaric acts on a mass scale. In addition, biotechnology and other technological innovations could give rise to new forms of violence which can effectively be spread by new media. The inhuman is a place from where it is difficult to return. The challenge of our time is to carry the responsibility of our freedom in such a way that we can defend ourselves against our inhumanity; but in a manner that would enable us also to open up to the radical creativity and strangeness of superhumans lying dormant in us. It is clear that now, more than ever before, human spirituality needs to be as alive and rich as possible to rise to the challenge. However, the belief in technology as utopia enslaves the human spirit. We forget that we are the creators of technology and fabricate excuses for moral and intellectual abdications. Furthermore, the assumption that cognition can be mechanised or formalised leads to the disembodiment of intelligence and thought. Humans are placed outside of the world to which they belong. We become estranged from ourselves and each other. The human spirit seems to be wounded by the prevailing metaphors of disembodiment and mechanisation accompanying technological dominance. This article contributes to the call for the struggle for the re-enchantment of the human spirit. It is imperative that thinkers and innovators - leaders - create new metaphors to provide richer descriptions of humanity. Social sciences, having studied the human condition for centuries, might contribute valuable ideas. Technology can be used in this struggle, but only if human beings understand their own paradoxical nature as well as that of technology. The fortified spirit is one that accepts its mortality and fragility but takes responsibility for its freedom. In this way, meaning is re-introduced in the lives of human beings.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence, cyborg, Cyborgs, human condition, human spirit, Im (wissenschaftlichen) Diskurs, man-machine, mechanisation, Mensch und Maschine, Mensch-Technik-Relationen (MTR), Ontologische Differenzierungen: Tier, Mensch, Maschine, post-humanism, Posthumanismus, re-enchantment of the spirit, Reflexionen über MTR, superhuman, technology, the inhuman 2012
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(2012): Presence, reciprocity and robotic mediations: The case of autonomous social roots. In: International Journal of Technoethics 3 (2), S. 9-16. DOI: 10.4018/jte.2012040102
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/jte.2012040102 Abstract: In this paper, the author proposes a theoretical framework for drawing a line between acceptable and non-acceptable technologies, with a focus on autonomous social robots. The author considers robots as mediations and their ethical acceptance as depending on their impact on the notion of presence. Presence is characterised by networks of reciprocity which make human beings subject and object of actions and perceptions at the same time. Technological mediation can either promote or inhibit the reciprocity of presence. A medium that inhibits presence deserves ethical evaluation since it prevents the possibility of a mutual exchange, thus creating a form of power. Autonomous social robots are a special kind of technological mediation because they replace human presence with a simulation of presence. Therefore, in interactions between human beings and autonomous robots, attention should be paid to the consequences on legal, moral, and social responsibility, and, at the same time, the impact of simulated forms of presence on human beings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
2011
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(2011): Ethics of using assistive technology in the care for community-dwelling elderly people: An overview of the literature. In: Aging & mental health 15 (4), S. 419-427. DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2010.543662
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21500008 Abstract: Objectives: This article provides an overview of the international literature on the most important ethical considerations in the field of assistive technology (AT) in the care for community-dwelling elderly people, focused on dementia. Method: A systematic literature review was performed. Results: A total of 46 papers met the inclusion criteria. Three main themes were found. The first theme, personal living environment, involves the subthemes privacy, autonomy and obtrusiveness. The second theme, the outside world, involves the subthemes stigma and human contact. The third theme, the design of AT devices, involves the subthemes individual approach, affordability and safety. The often referred to umbrella term of ‘obtrusiveness’ is frequently used by many authors in the discussion, while a clear description of the concept is mostly absent. Conclusion: When it comes to AT use in the care for elderly people living at home, ethical debate appears not to be a priority. The little discussion there relies heavily on thick concepts such as autonomy and obtrusiveness which seem to complicate the debate rather than clarify it, because they contain many underlying ambiguous concepts and assumptions. Most encountered ethical objections originate from the view that people are, or should be, independent and self-determinant. It is questionable whether the view is correct and helpful in the debate on AT use in the care for (frail) elderly people. Other ethical approaches that view people as social and reciprocal might be more applicable and shed a different light on the ethical aspects of AT use.
2010
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(2010): Replacement of Highly Educated Surgical Assistants by Robot Technology in Working Life: Paradigm Shift in the Service Sector. In: International Journal of Social Robotics 2 (4), S. 431-438. DOI: 10.1007/s12369-010-0062-y
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-010-0062-y Abstract: This article highlights the thus far unexplained social and professional effects raised by robotization in surgical applications, and further develops an understanding of social acceptance among professional users of robots in the healthcare sector. It presents findings from ethnographic workplace research on human-robot interactions (HRI) in a population of twenty-three professionals. When considering all the findings, the latest da Vinci system equipped with four robotic arms substitutes two table-side surgical assistants, in contrast to the single-arm AESOP robot that only substitutes one surgical assistant. The adoption of robots and the replacement of surgical assistants provide clear evidence that robots are well-accepted among operating surgeons. Because HRI decrease the operating surgeon’s dependence on social assistance and since they replace the work tasks of surgical assistants, the robot is considered a surrogate artificial work partner and worker. This finding is consistent with prior HRI research indicating that users, through their cooperation with robots, often become less reliant on supportive social actions. This research relates to societal issues and provides the first indication that highly educated knowledge workers are beginning to be replaced by robot technology in working life and therefore points towards a paradigm shift in the service sector. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)