Digital democracy and regulation
How could the current directions in technology development impact our democracies and shape institutions? Is technology shifting the power structures of our societies? How is ethics reflected in GDPR or the upcoming EU AI Act, or several codes of ethics concerning technology? We dig deep into the intersections of ethics, regulation and practice, and work with work towards better understanding of how they shape people’s lives. Our past and ongoing research includes topics such as:
- impacts of AI on democracy
- eGovernment and digital services
- data and AI regulation
- data and digital technology in public government
Lately, we have focused on creating a better understanding of the intersection between regulation and technology ethics.
Projects: DELHA-project
Recently published:
Koskinen, J., Knaapi-Junnila, S., Kuusniemi, L. & Karilahti, A. (2022). Henkilötietoja sisältävän datan eettinen hyödyntäminen kuntapalveluissa edellyttää tukea säädösten yhtenevään tulkintaan. Turun kaupunki, tutkimuskatsaus 5/2022. https://www.turku.fi/sites/default/files/atoms/files/tutkimuskatsauksia_5-2022.pdf
We have an extensive track record in researching ethics of governmental information systems and eHealth.
Selected publications:
Koskinen J., & Rantanen M. (Accepted, in Print) Categorising the term of Personal Health Record (PHR) – a Systematic Review and Analysis of the Term used in Literature. International Journal of Telemedicine and Clinical Practices.
Koskinen J. (2019). The concept of Datenherrschaft of patient information from a Heideggerian perspective. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society,17(3), 336-353. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-04-2018-0031
Essén A., Scandurra I., Gerrits R., Humphrey G., Johansen M. A., Kiergegaard P., Koskinen J., Liaw S., Odeh S., Ross P. & Ancker J. S. (2018) Patient access to electronic health records: Differences across ten countries. Health Policy and Technology, 7(1), 44-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2017.11.003
Salla Westerstrand’s ongoing PhD research sheds light to how ethical directions of current AI development can impact liberal democracies. Using ethics theories, she maps the ongoing AI ethics discourse in European AI regulation, national AI strategies and practical implementations. The implications of these results are then evaluated against democratic theories and practice. Completion is estimated by the end of 2025.
Recently published:
Westerstrand (2023). Ethics in the Intersection of AI and Democracy: The AIDEM Framework. ECIS 2023 Research Papers. 321 (link).
As a part of his ongoing PhD research, Juhani Naskali studies freedom of speech in online environments and how information technology can facilitate, as well as challenge it.
Recently Published
