Design and Use of Human Operator Digital Twins in Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems: Ethical Implications

Abstract

The development of future Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems is highly connected to the need for Digital Twins. Integrating machines and information systems in such twins is a difficult task, but the integration of human operators usually constitutes an even harder challenge. However, this challenge is generally seen as a sum of technical or scientific issues, when the actual challenge might have a broader scope. This paper aims at identifying the benefits and risks of this activity from an ethical point of view. An illustrating example is provided to exhibit how an apparently beneficial process can be deflected and used for negative purposes.