The Open Community for Ethics in Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (OCEANIS) will provide a high level global forum for discussion, debate and collaboration for organizations interested in the development and use of standards to further the development of autonomous and intelligent systems. The open community will address the need for coordination and collaboration related to the unprecedented challenges faced by those working in ICT standards and related spaces, challenges fueled by the rapid rate of technology development and convergence through digitization. The open community itself will not act as a standards development body.
Algorithms, sensors, big data, ubiquitous networking and technologies used in autonomous and intelligent systems across all industry sectors are deeply impacting our work and social environment today at speed and with unprecedented implications. The implications and consequences for our personal and social lives are profound and could lead to a loss of trust in technology from a range of issues. For example, there could be a loss of trust due to a perceived loss of agency over our digital identity and data, or due to ethical, transparency or accountability issues related to the operation of such systems. At an international level, various UN organizations, the European Commission and the OECD, are starting to address these challenges.
In particular, there is growing interest to address trust and ethical concerns through standards in ICT platforms, in particular in the domain of autonomous and intelligent systems. Standards can play a transformational role to support the ethical application of autonomous and intelligent systems, supporting the development of the sector whilst protecting the end user. Given the inherently complex nature of the issues at stake and the fact that this is uncharted territory for many of them (hybrids between technical and non-technical issues, differing cultural contexts, major socio-political stakes etc.), there is a real need and opportunity for collaboration among organizations.
The OCEANIS will provide a trusted environment or space where we will be able to:
- Share information and coordinate on respective initiatives and programs, starting with the areas of autonomous and intelligent systems,
- Enhance understanding on the role of standards in facilitating innovation, whilst addressing problems that expand beyond technical solutions to addressing ethics and values,
- Jointly organize events at local/regional/global level,
- Identify opportunities for collaborative activities that bolster the development and use of standards in supporting technical, business and policy communities in addressing technical, societal and ethical implications of technology expansion.
The OCEANIS community is open to interested organizations from around the world. Terms of Reference will be developed and the community will be overseen by a steering committee consisting of one representative per member organization, supported by a small secretariat.
