Best Practice Guide to Developing Ethically Aligned Standards

Developing ethically and sustainably aligned technical standards is in some senses much harder than developing an ‘ordinary’ technical standard. In addition to identifying best practices and achieving consensus amongst delegate experts, the process for developing these types of standards involves a varied background of participants, a diverse range of human values, and a great deal of uncertainty, ambiguity and complexity about the outcomes required and the process to be used for development.

This initiative describes the development of a ‘go-to guide’ for new technical standards development in the ethical Artificial Intelligence Systems (AIS), ethically aligned design (EAD), sustainability and Information Technology areas that will assist the IEEE Society for Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) Standards Committee and it’s Working Groups to develop new Project Authorization Requests (PARs)and efficiently expedite standards projects to conclusion. This initiative will also provide clarity and perspective for other Standards Committees, Working Groups and Study Groups who have an interest in ethical and sustainable standards development practices for their own developing standards.

The goal of this program is to produce a ‘Best Practice Guide’ to developing Ethically Aligned Standards’. This guide will be used both by prospective initiators of PARs, by Working Groups, and by Standards Committees, to inform and educate themselves on the most efficient and effective methods for conducting their projects.

To achieve this goal, we will start by gathering and synthesizing information from stakeholders to identify current pain points, challenges and opportunities as well as examining potential solutions.

The Best Practice Guide is envisaged to be a living document (like a live wiki), containing the collected experiences and recommendations collated by various participants in IEEE SA EAD-style standards development.

We welcome new participants and stakeholders with experience or interest in developing Ethically Aligned or sustainability oriented technical standards.

To learn more about the program and how to join the Best Practice Guide to Developing Ethically Aligned Standards activity, please express your interest by sending an inquiry to the activity chair whose information can be found in the Contacts section.