Empowered and embedded: ethics and agile processes

This article argues that ethical considerations should be embedded into the software development process itself, especially within agile methodologies. Ethical evaluation must extend beyond product use to include the software as a socio-technical artifact carrying embedded (techno-generic) values that affect users and social practices. The authors propose integrating ethical deliberation throughout development by empowering engineers to exercise techno-ethical judgment continuously. They claim agile processes are particularly suitable because: (1) agile methods are widely adopted; (2) flat hierarchies promote autonomy and independent thinking; (3) existing team structures incubate deliberation; (4) iterative development fosters object-focused, techno-ethical realism; and (5) sprints provide salient endpoints for deliberation. The paper outlines how to systematize ethical deliberation within agile processes and management structures to cultivate a professional ethos oriented toward good normative design.

Niina Zuber, Jan Gogoll, Severin Kacianka, Alexander Pretschner, Julian Nida-Rümelin