Postgraduate Researchers

PhD Research Student - School of Media

Project title: Ethical and Social Implications of the Use of AI-Powered & Data-Gathering Devices in the EU Manufacturing Workplace 

Project abstract 

This thesis explores the ethical and social issues arising from the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and non-medical data-gathering devices in European workplaces, with a focus on manufacturing. The research seeks to: (1) identify barriers to the ethical and socially responsible use of these technologies, particularly by engaging underrepresented stakeholders such as SMEs, civil society organizations, and worker representatives; (2) balance the protection of European values enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty (2007) and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000) with the exploitation of data-driven technologies; (3) address the under-researched AI requirement of societal and environmental well-being, as outlined in the EU Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI (2018); and (4) anticipate and contribute to upcoming European Commission regulations on AI systems in workplaces. 

The research employs a three-pronged qualitative methodology: first, semi-structured interviews with diverse stakeholders with both (i) employees and (ii) managers working in companies that develop/use data-gathering devices and AI systems, and professionals who facilitate, study and/or seek to influence them (interest groups, policymakers, academics). Secondly, policy analysis of the European legal and ethical documents of relevance in the field, grounded in Critical Policy Studies (CPS). Thirdly, ethnographic research within the living labs that constitute the CISC project, which funds this research. 

Three main research questions guide the study: (a) What social and ethical issues arise from AI and data-gathering technologies in European workplaces? (b) How do workplace roles influence perceptions of these technologies? (c) How can these issues be addressed within the current regulatory framework?  

By examining these issues through a multidisciplinary lens and emphasizing stakeholder inclusion, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on AI governance, workplace ethics, and the alignment of emerging technologies with European social and ethical values. 

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Aphra Kerr, Dr. Brian Vaughan, Dr. Maria Chiara Leva 

Funder: Collaborative Intelligence for Safety Critical Systems (CISC) project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 955901