Global
海角社区Group Technology Ethics
In recent years, the rapid progress seen in the use of AI and other new technologies has led to both high expectations as well as concerns from users. To meet these expectations and dispel these concerns, the 海角社区Group is working to mitigate the risks inherent in the development, societal implementation, and operation of digital services.
Technology Ethics
The 海角社区Group's products and services are provided based on ethical and honest activities so as to prevent them from causing concerns, dissatisfaction, or disadvantages to customers and users.
The 海角社区Group defines technology ethics as ethical and honest activities in order to develop technologies that are easy for everyone to use and contribute to a society that offers positive working environments and provides these technologies in the form of products and services. Technology ethics serve as the standard for all digital services the 海角社区Group offers, including AI.
Technology Ethics Charter
The 海角社区Group has formulated a comprehensive Technology Ethics Charter that covers the research, development, provision, and operation of various digital services utilizing AI and imaging devices.
This Charter is a response to a strong awareness of the risks posed by AI and other new technologies, which can have serious impacts on individual users' human rights and social issues, as well as issues related to technology ethics, including errors in system development that have the potential to foment discrimination, prejudice, and inequality. The Charter mitigates the ethical risks inherent in the development, societal implementation, and operation of digital services.
Three Principles of Technology Ethics
Seven Credos
Three Principles of Technology Ethics
1. Providing Fulfillment through Work by solving social issues and developing human-centered services
It is important that decisions made by AI, which is at the core of digital services, be implemented responsibly, with respect for people and for the benefit of society. Following the principles of respect for human rights, beneficence, and justice, the 海角社区Group provides digital services that revolve around people and we continuously conduct system verification to ensure that the systems function as intended by anticipating customer usage scenarios, and providing Fulfillment through Work.
2. Enlightenment and Provision of services that respect the values of diverse individuals
To mitigate the potential ethical risks and foster the creation of new value when providing digital services, it is crucial to ensure that the purpose of utilizing AI in systems and products is appropriate from the research and planning stages. The 海角社区Group plans to propose the utilization of digital services and application of technology ethics to solve various social issues, contribute to the realization of a comfortable and resilient sustainable society, and expand the circle of Fulfillment through Work for people from diverse backgrounds around world. Furthermore, in research, development, and experimentation targeting humans, we will conduct ethical reviews in accordance with the ethical guidelines established by each country, region, or academic association.
3. Maintenance and management of services with high reliability and security
For customers to continue using our digital services, it is crucial to ensure the reliability of systems after the societal implementation of digital services, which is to provide value consistently and stably over the long term. The 海角社区Group focuses on robust design to ensure that the digital services can adapt to societal and environmental changes and are continuously accepted. We strive to maintain and develop digital services leveraging the technology nurtured through the maintenance of office equipment.
Seven Credos
1. Promotion of appropriate development and responsible utilization
The 海角社区Group incorporates specific usage scenarios of services into the development process to ensure that they are not used in ways that deviate from their intended purposes or operational conditions. We strive for development that considers the risks associated with each usage scenario. We also promote the proper operation of digital services by providing users and operators with usage policies and conditions. Additionally, we continuously monitor changes in the operating environment of the digital services, people's awareness of the decision results made by AI at the core of the digital services, and changes in societal conditions. We make efforts to appropriately maintain and manage digital services and ensure continuous learning.
2. Achieving fairness
The 海角社区Group strives to develop and operate AI technology, in addition to educate our employees, so that the results of AI, which is the core of digital services, contribute to the interests of various stakeholders and do not cause or encourage discrimination or prejudice based on race, gender, or nationality, etc.
3. Development and operation with thorough protection of privacy
The 海角社区Group handles personal information appropriately and endeavors to protect rights including privacy with regard to input data used for learning, evaluating, and operating digital services and data output by such services.
4. Development and provision of security-focused digital services
The 海角社区Group strives to realize and operate digital services that emphasize security, including measures at the system and operation levels to prevent information leaks, falsification, system corruption, and service interference.
5. Emphasis on Safety
The 海角社区Group strives to verify the quality of digital services we provided to ensure that they function as intended and protect the rights 鈥� including the life, health, property, reputation, trust, and credibility 鈥� of users and stakeholders. Simultaneously, we will strive to realize and operate digital services that prevent negative impacts on the global environment and society and provide comfortable workplaces.
6. Practice Transparency and Accountability
The 海角社区Group endeavors to ensure transparency by verifying the basis of the decision results made by AI and being able to explain them. We also strive to fulfill our accountability by providing explanations according to the purposes and situations related to the services we provide.
7. Compliance with Laws and Regulations
We comply with laws and regulations in the countries and regions where our digital services are used. We also realize and operate digital services that adhere to fundamental ethical principles and meet societal expectations. To achieve this, the Group strives for talent development by providing equal access to educational environments that foster education and literacy for those involved in research, development, design, sales, maintenance, etc.
Rollout of Technology Ethics
The 海角社区Group, based on the Technology Ethics Charter, conducts comprehensive activities鈥攆rom user-oriented research and development to provision and operation鈥攆rom ELSI* perspectives, implementing risk assessments and countermeasures for digital services and the AI that is at the core of those services.
In order to provide safe and reliable user-oriented products to the world, we have expanded the rollout of technology ethics by introducing a (Research) 海角社区Ethical Review Board system in 2017. We expanded the scope of this 海角社区Ethical Review Board in 2019 from research activities to technology development. Taking into account concerns arising from AI and other technologies, we formulated the Technology Ethics Charter in 2023, formed a specialized department, and established a cross-organizational promotion committee (the 海角社区Technology Ethics Promotion Committee) to initiate activities. Furthermore, in 2024, we introduced the Technology Assessment (TA) process, a risk-based management approach to research and development. We have also begun offering technology ethics education to 海角社区Group employees.
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*ELSI (Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues): This refers to non-technology-related issues (ethical, legal, and social issues) that arise when developing technologies and providing products and services.
Promotion Structure
The 海角社区Group has established the 海角社区Technology Ethics Promotion Committee led by the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) under the direct control of the CEO. It is working to reduce technology ethics risks.
This committee consists of Technology Ethics Promotion Committee members selected from each business unit and the Group headquarters. It is rolled out to include all domestic and overseas Group companies*.
These activities are positioned as one of the 海角社区Group's managerial strategic risks, 鈥淓stablishment of R&D processes as a digital services company," and are conducted in cooperation with risk management departments.
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*Rollout to all group companies: Introduction to individual group companies by supervising organization
Activities
Initiatives to Realize Appropriate Research and Development
1. Research Ethical Review Board System
The Research Ethical Review Board System has been introduced for research functions conducted by 海角社区Group companies in Japan. This system aims to ensure that research is properly conducted from both ethical and scientific viewpoints. It covers ergonomic research in addition to medical research involving human subjects. In recent years, as data-utilizing prototyping demonstration experiments and societal implementation have become more common, the scope of the research ethics review system has been expanded to include not only research functions but also development functions.
The 海角社区Ethics Review Committee, which includes outside experts, has been established to ensure fair reviews under this system.
2. Risk Management Process
Research function departments conducting research involving human subjects are working to predict the impacts of ELSI beginning in the initial stages of research and to incorporate, in advance, appropriate countermeasures in designs. To ensure the effectiveness of these initiatives鈥攌nown as 鈥淓LSI by Design"鈥攚e have introduced a risk management process (RMP) that involves reviews that incorporate the opinions of third parties.
3. Technology Assessments
It is necessary to integrate a research ethics review system and agile development steps to deal with ELSI, which has come under greater scrutiny by society due to the rapid development of new technologies, particularly AI technologies. We have introduced Technology Assessment (TA) to bridge this gap.
With TA, developers conduct risk analyses in response to multiple ELSI target elements (TA items) that are identified in a comprehensive manner, then plan and implement countermeasures. Third-party assessors review the results in terms of assessing risks at the time of application and the effectiveness of the countermeasures (including plans for the next step). Developers and assessors of products and services follow agile development and conduct iterative TA as necessary from the initial stages of development to control risks prior to launch.
Awareness-Raising Activities
Mitigating technology ethics risks requires the understanding and actions of not just employees working in research and development departments but all 海角社区Group employees. We, therefore, implement awareness-raising activities to promote understanding and awareness of technology ethics.
1. Technology Ethics Education
We provide technology ethics education to 海角社区Group employees in Japan to raise awareness of the importance of each and every individual's ethical and honest activities to ensure that our products and services do not cause concerns or disadvantages to customers and users.
2. Technology Ethics Symposium
Internal and external experts hold lectures and symposiums on technology ethics for 海角社区Group employees. The aim is to help our employees understand and become aware of global ethical trends and issues and connect them to their business activities and day-to-day actions.
3. Dissemination of Technology Ethics Topics
Topics related to technology ethics (internal rules and initiatives, real-world case studies, etc.) are regularly disseminated to 海角社区Group employees to promote understanding and better establish technology ethics.
Collaborations With External Parties
Co-Creation Research Project with The University of Osaka Research Center on Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (Commonly Referred to as the ELSI Center)
Starting in 2022, working in collaboration with The University of Osaka Research Center on Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues, we are researching societal implementation processes based on the ELSI perspective to avoid possible social risks that may occur when new technologies and solutions are implemented in society. The specific initiatives are as follows.
- Examination and trialing of technology assessment processes
- Application of ELSI training for researchers at 海角社区Company, Ltd.
- Exploration of research themes related to ELSI
