A neuro fuzzy system for incorporating ethics in the internet of things

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a promising technology for addressing the challenges of urbanisation, however ethical ramifications of introducing such pervasive technology have not been duly considered. It is assumed that smart devices are exempt from moral, religious or legal responsibilities with regard to their surroundings. Such a perspective on device functioning may lead to situations where essential human values are put at risk. We suggest that social parameters be also included within the realm of machine functioning. In this work, we propose a neuro fuzzy system (NFS) that is able to implement ethics relevant to the context of a device and also fine tune them. Initially ethical requirements are specified in terms of fuzzy ethics rules and appropriate ethical response is learned subsequently. The method enables us to address the vital question of ethical compliance of smart things so that ethical rights of people are not infringed upon. By such incorporation, we ensure that machines respect core human values paving way for human friendly technology ecosystems like ethical smart city.