20^th June 2024 | 10:00 A.M – 12:30 P.M 

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Meeting Agenda:

The purpose of the workshop was to inform relevant stakeholders about the development of an ethical assessment framework for Internet of Things (IoT) solutions used in smart cities and to gather their input to operationalize the framework. This assessment framework is the outcome of a year-long funded project by the Government of Karnataka, IIIT-B, and the World Economic Forum.

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Attendees:

Attendees participated both online and offline.

IIIT-Bangalore and CIET:

• Prof. Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT-B
• Prof. Amit Prakash, Principal Investigator, CIET, IIIT-B
• Prof. Vinay Reddy Venumuddala, Assistant Professor, IIT-Jodhpur (Online)
• Mr. Purushottam Kaushik, Head Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum (Online)
• Mr. Kanan, Program Manager, CIET, IIIT-B
• Dr. Deepa Austin, Research Scholar, CIET, IIIT-B
• Swati Ganeshan, Research Associate, CIET, IIIT-B
• Shruchi Singh, Research Intern, CIET, IIIT-B
• Taru Jain, MS by Research Scholar, IIIT-B

Government Representatives:

• Mr. Prabhakar, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
• Dr. Manjunath Daler, Bengaluru Smart City Limited
• Mr. Srinivas M S, Smart Cities Mission, KUIDFC (Online)

Industry Representatives:

• Mr. Bhaskar Verma, Regional Director, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, NASSCOM
• Dr. Madalasa Venkataraman, Senior Director, Data Science, Oracle

Independent Consultants:

• Mr. Vivek V, Independent Researcher and Consultant, Niti Aayog
• Ms. Arati Megharaj, Consultant on IoT Technologies (Online)
• Dr. Anjali Karol Mohan, Urban Consultant and Regional Planner (Online)

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Meeting Summary:

The workshop began with a welcome address by Prof. Das, Director, IIIT-B, who introduced the inception of CIET and its vision. Prof. Amit, Principal Investigator at CIET, outlined a tripartite agreement aimed at developing a policy framework to engage with the ethical aspects of IoT and AI technologies, particularly in health, agriculture, education, manufacturing, and smart cities.

The first strand of the project focused on building an ethical assessment framework for IoT interventions in smart cities. Prof. Vinay presented CIET’s efforts and the complex adaptive system approach, which grounds the ethical framework for IoT in smart cities. This framework also applies to other sectors like healthcare and agriculture.

Key Ethical Pillars:

1. Justice and Equity
2. Fairness
3. Trust and Consent
4. Dignity of Life and Work

The discussion revolved around the ethical considerations in IoT applications, particularly in smart city initiatives like Solid Waste Management (SWM) and Integrated Transport Management Systems (ITMS).

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Discussion:

Key Takeaways:

• Adopting a complexity lens allows acknowledgment of networks that don’t fit formal/informal categories but enhance system resilience.
• The framework offers specifications but seeks inputs to operationalize and evaluate IoT solutions ethically in design and implementation.
• The centralization of data by technology raises concerns that need further investigation.
• Ethical guidelines must integrate into existing operational policies.
• The ethical framework should be adaptable to specific use cases and strategic needs.

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Questions/Clarifications:

1. Why focus on these four pillars (Justice and Equity, Fairness, Trust, Dignity of Life and Work)?

• These pillars were selected after reviewing ethics and governance literature and are citizen-centric, addressing the societal impact of IoT.

1. Does the framework address the design and use of IoT devices ethically?

• Yes, it covers both the design and implementation stages.

1. How is sustainability defined in the framework?

• Existing tenders emphasize goals like zero-waste and zero-pollution, which guide the sustainability focus.

1. How are informal networks mapped in city systems?

• Grey areas between formal and informal networks need more research to understand the full spectrum of stakeholder practices.

1. How do we address inherent injustices in cities as Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)?

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Suggestions/Way Forward:

Government Perspectives:

• The framework must include ethical guidelines that IoT technologies in smart cities should follow, based on recognized standards.
• It should provide operational and strategic-level policy guidelines for urban governance.
• A clear and well-defined working definition of sustainability must be established.
• The framework needs to evolve from being a “generalized” policy to a “contextually adaptable” one.
• A communication strategy should make the framework accessible to a broader audience.
• Checks and balances are necessary to evaluate whether data-driven approaches are being adopted for the right reasons.
• The boundaries for city-level operations should be maintained to ensure officials stay within operational limits.
• Ethics should be incorporated into tenders, RFPs, and technical specifications.

The meeting concluded with gratitude and a call for feedback within two weeks, after which the framework would be submitted to government representatives..