A Framework for Ethical HRI Research

As discussed in Part I, ethical and responsible conduct should be at the core of HRI research throughout the HRI study life cycle, as with all areas of research that aim to benefit society through technological advancements. In most research settings, the basic infrastructure such as ethics committees that oversee and approve study designs, and the training provided to new researchers on ethical research conduct, is already in place. However, this infrastructure is often adapted from a medical research context not tailored for HRI, and may be inadequate to ensure the values and requirements held by different stakeholder groups are understood and incorporated. This chapter discusses ethical considerations of designing HRI systems and conducting HRI studies as informed by the IEEE Standard for Ethical System Design. We propose a framework to support ethical HRI research and experimental practice, which motivates the expanded set of methodologies and practical guidelines for HRI studies covered in the following chapters of Part II.