Society 5.0 Ethics

Convening the world’s experts to develop an aligned global approach to navigating ethical decision making in Society 5.0.

This multi-year project brings together thought leaders, government, and industry experts on an international scale to:

identify and mitigate threats to society prompted by next generation technology innovation
navigate pathways for ethical design and use of emerging technologies
centralise social concerns in discussions of data and digital disruptions.

Goals

Through the project, we’ll identify the ethical threats arising from emerging technologies to develop a comprehensive statement of commitments and principles, as well as sets of best practices to guide development of technological innovations.

Eliminating risk by embedding ethical innovation for Society 5.0

What is Society 5.0?

Society 5.0 is a broad label for the near-future, inseparable interconnection between humans and technologies in the era of artificial intelligence and machine learning. It is characterised by ever-increasing data gathering, ubiquitous predictive analytics, AI-saturated systems, and immersive internet.

Biased, ungoverned, and flawed systems continue to wreak havoc for individuals, cities, and businesses across the globe.

Why does the world need a new Ethical Future for Society 5.0?

Every new ethical problem reminds us that we need to disrupt our current mindsets about what society should become.

There are no comprehensive statements of commitments, principles, or ethical guidelines to protect and advance ethics and human rights during the next leap of technology.

Without a global consensus around the principles of technology best practices and governance, we will continue to face ongoing challenges brought about by data breaches, misinformation, rampant data surveillance, personal data risks. We will also remain unprepared for emerging risks that accompany ungoverned development and deployment of automated, augmentative, invasive, or immersive technologies. Positioning human needs at the forefront of these technologies is critical to ensure new innovations embed ethical principles and human rights at their core.

A planetary issue requires a planetary response

Supporting partners

Our business, industry, and community partners will gain priority access to an international team of experts for guidance and tailored recommendations in the face of ethical threats as technology advances.

Using a cross-sectoral and global outlook approach the team can provide long term and transcontinental guidance that reflects independent, evidence-based advice for the next generation of technological innovations.

Priority access to thought leadership and expertise.
Targeted identification of critical legal, ethical, social, and other risks to your organisation.
Exclusive mapping of vulnerable domains.
Bespoke advice and co-designed strategies for developing comprehensive guidelines and policies to protect your organisation from legal, ethical, social, and financial risks.
Forecasting of the potential risks of inaction for particular groups (e.g., workforce implications)
Providing catalysts for incorporating ethical principles in design and implementation of new technologies.

Timeline

Initial Summit

Melbourne, Australia

Convene a deliberative body of high-profile international experts and potential sponsors.

Global Forums

Six continents

Gather diverse participants in six major forums to generate and debate issues, developing material for draft declaration.

Ratification Summit

Melbourne, Australia

Convene second summit to deliberate and ratify a global declaration drawing on the global forums.

Disseminate

Worldwide

Disseminate principles and best practices through international academic conventions, governmental channels, and trade associations.

Interested in collaborating?

Key contacts

Location

Email

Professor Annette Markham and
Professor Lisa Given

Melbourne City Campus, Building 8, Level 10

society5ethics@rmit.edu.au

Current opportunities for engagement

We’re looking for partners to be part of exciting new research projects
Express your interest in participating in the Initial Summit event in Q2 2024
Become a part of our network and receive upcoming event information

Our people

Professor Annette Markham

Co-initiator and lead, RMIT Professor, Global digital culture and ethics expert.

Find out more about Annette

Professor Lisa Given

Co-initiator and lead, RMIT Professor, Global information science and ethics expert.

Find out more about Lisa

Distinguished Professor Jason Potts

Co-initiator, RMIT Professor, blockchain and web3 futures expert.

Find out more about Jason

Professor Julian Thomas

Co-initiator, RMIT Professor, AI and decision-making expert.

Find out more about Julian

Professor Karin Verspoor

Co-initiator, RMIT Professor, Artificial intelligence in health expert.

Find out more about Karin

An ethical future is everyone’s responsibility.

Our partners

To build the declaration, the initiative brings together four main groups across six continents. The following groups within RMIT will support this project:

Social Change Platform

Making sense of human progress, locally, nationally and globally.

Case study | Local communities supporting people with disabilities

RMIT partnered with local government and a service provider, community organisations, local businesses and residents to develop innovative ways of increasing the local community’s capacity to support and include people with disabilities.

In the news | The ABC's plan to axe its librarians will damage its journalism. Here's why.

Social Change Director Lisa Given writes in The Conversation

Explore our Enabling Impact Platforms

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

More information

Acknowledgement of Country

More information

Society 5.0 Ethics