Augmenting morality through ethics education: the ACTWith model

Abstract

Recently in this journal, Jessica Morley and colleagues (AI & SOC 2023 38:411–423) review AI ethics and education, suggesting that a cultural shift is necessary to prepare students for their responsibilities in developing technology infrastructure that should shape ways of life for many generations. Current AI ethics guidelines are abstract and difficult to implement as practical moral concerns proliferate. They call for improvements in ethics course design, focusing on real-world cases and perspective-taking tools to immerse students in challenging situations with relatable personal, social and environmental implications. The present paper considers the ACTWith model of moral cognition for use in such training contexts. Morley and colleagues’ paper and contemporary research literature are reviewed. Whistleblowing as a source for relatable case-studies is discussed, and the purpose of ethics education considered. The ACTWith model is introduced, and correlations with contemporary research noted. The ACTWith model has been successfully employed in a broad range of technology ethics courses in the Netherlands and South Korea. Illustrations are offered. Parallel efforts in the context of software engineering are observed. Summary discussion considers strengths and limitations of the ACTWith program. Overall, the paper emphasizes training high-level moral reasoning through guided inquiry education informing lifetime professional practice, recognizes an outstanding need for teachers able to do the job, and offers the ACTWith program for necessary skill development.