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The Sky Is the Limit? Ethical Acceptability of Autonomous Systems in Switzerland (SKY)

Researchers Involved

Dr. Ning Wang

Prof. Dr. Lorenz Hilty

research areas

Digital Ethics
Drones for Good
Social Acceptance
Technology & Society

timeframe

2023 - 2024

 

Taking drones used as urban air mobility solutions in Switzerland as an exemplar, this research aims to investigate real-world use cases of drones in the Swiss context, using an inter-disciplinary and co-creation approach of «Urban Living Labs».

Background

The ethical acceptability of high-impact technologies touches upon issues pertaining to access and equity, benefit sharing, harm and risk, consent, and allocation of public resources, among others. This project seeks to provide analyses about it and develop practical governance tools for policy makers and the public to achieve ethically informed transformations towards sustainability. Project partners include leading industry and civil society members, Canton of Zurich, Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), and the Zurich Knowledge Center for Sustainability Development (ZKSD). The project is funded by the UZH Research Talent Development Fund (FAN) alongside the Hirschmann Stiftung, the Ernst Göhner Stiftung, and the Spendenstiftung Bank Vontobel.