Ethical plateaus in Danish Child Protection Services: The rise and demise of algorithmic models

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ethical plateaus in Danish Child Protection Services

T2 - The rise and demise of algorithmic models

AU - Ratner, Helene Friis

AU - Schrøder, Ida

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - This paper analyses how controversies shape an emerging field of AI in Danish child protection services. In a context of high controversiality, we examine how algorithmic systems evolve in conjunction with changing ethical stakes. Empirically, we report a study comprising all Danish attempts (n=4) to develop algorithmic models for child protection services. These attempts were never fully implemented and have been either cancelled, paused or changed significantly since their outset. Combining the notion of ‘ethical plateaus’ with insights from valuation studies, we propose that public controversies shape how organisations enact their algorithms as ethically ‘good’. Our findings demonstrate how valuations of ethically contestable algorithms involve the very distribution of agency across humans and algorithms, i.e., how much power and agency should be delegated to algorithmic models. In the case of Danish child protection services, this moves towards reducing their agency.

AB - This paper analyses how controversies shape an emerging field of AI in Danish child protection services. In a context of high controversiality, we examine how algorithmic systems evolve in conjunction with changing ethical stakes. Empirically, we report a study comprising all Danish attempts (n=4) to develop algorithmic models for child protection services. These attempts were never fully implemented and have been either cancelled, paused or changed significantly since their outset. Combining the notion of ‘ethical plateaus’ with insights from valuation studies, we propose that public controversies shape how organisations enact their algorithms as ethically ‘good’. Our findings demonstrate how valuations of ethically contestable algorithms involve the very distribution of agency across humans and algorithms, i.e., how much power and agency should be delegated to algorithmic models. In the case of Danish child protection services, this moves towards reducing their agency.

KW - Artificial intelligence

KW - Child Protection Services

KW - Controversy

KW - Ethics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205423571&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.23987/sts.126011

DO - 10.23987/sts.126011

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2243-4690

VL - 37

SP - 44

EP - 61

JO - Science and Technology Studies

JF - Science and Technology Studies

IS - 3

ER -