A Dignity Perspective on the Potential Harm of AI Technologies: The Case of Robodebt
File version
Version of Record (VoR)
Author(s)
Stockdale, R
Scheepers, H
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract
This paper uses an Australian case study called Robodebt to explore harms that were inflicted on social welfare recipients through the use of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system. A socio-technical lens is used to identify the welfare recipients as social actors and to study their interaction with the Robodebt system. A dignity lens is then applied to view the impact on those social actors. Data were collected from written submissions by impacted welfare recipients to a Royal Commission on Robodebt. Narrative and content analysis methods were then applied to analyse the data. The findings conclude that harms would not have occurred if the perspectives of the dignity lens had been used in the design of the system. In designing future AI projects, it is recommended to consider individuals as multi-dimensional social actors and ensure that the protection of human dignity is a central consideration.
Journal Title
Conference Title
ACIS 2023 Proceedings
Book Title
Edition
Volume
100
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
DOI
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© 2023 [Felstead, Stockdale & Scheepers]. This is an open-access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Australia License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and ACIS are credited.
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Felstead, C; Stockdale, R; Scheepers, H, A Dignity Perspective on the Potential Harm of AI Technologies: The Case of Robodebt, ACIS 2023 Proceedings, 2023