The innovative Good Enough Ethics (GEE) policy brief, developed by researchers from De Montfort University as part of the SHARESPACE project, has been officially launched. GEE, an approach inspired by “Ethics by Design” (EbD), was introduced during a keynote address by Professor Kathleen Richardson at the 2024 Ars Electronica Festival. The keynote lecture, along with the full policy brief, is now available online.
Ethics has traditionally focused on guiding individual behavior, but the Ethics by Design (EbD) framework reimagines this by embedding ethical considerations into every stage of the design process for new technologies. This approach ensures that ethical concerns such as privacy, sustainability, and equality are integrated into the very fabric of AI systems, business practices, and technological innovations. As these issues become more pressing in the age of AI, EbD has become a critical methodology for producing technology that respects human dignity and transparency.
While working on the SHARESPACE project, De Montfort University’s research team, led by Professor Kathleen Richardson, initially explored a checklist approach for addressing ethical issues. However, they soon found that the extensive range of categories created an overwhelming volume of concerns that were difficult to address within limited timeframes. This realization sparked the development of Good Enough Ethics (GEE), a more relational and adaptive approach to ethics.
Drawing inspiration from Good Enough Parenting, a concept introduced by paediatrician Donald Winnicott in the 1950s, GEE emphasizes relationships and collaboration over strict adherence to perfectionism. It recognizes that ethical development must work with technologists’ lived experiences and intuitions rather than imposing a rigid, top-down set of rules. As Professor Richardson explained during her Ars Electronica keynote, GEE was designed to be adaptable and responsive, focusing on fostering ethical dialogue throughout the design process.
The GEE model is based on six core principles, emphasizing flexibility, collaboration, and the prioritization of human relationships in technology development. This approach reflects a shift in how ethics is conceptualized, especially in fast-moving fields like AI and robotics, where ethical challenges must be navigated with agility.
This launch marks an important step forward in making ethics an integral part of technological innovation, ensuring that the design of future systems not only considers, but actively incorporates, ethical values from the very beginning.
