Slow Ethics in an Age of Fast Technology: The Ethical Implications of Industry 4.0 for Social Work
This paper brings together a range of perspectives on the ethicalimplications for social work of the growing use of digital technologies, big data, artificial intelligence and other features of 'Industry 4.0' (the fourth industrial revolution). Drawing on contributions to a workshop co-organised by the Ethics and Social Welfare journal, contributors explore: the nature and importance 'slow ethics' in an age of fast technological developments; ethical challenges for social work with the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, which outlaws digital communications; the empowering effect of online meetings for a young person in Italy; and the possibilities and limitations of using algorithms in mental capacity assessments and in ethical decision-making more broadly. Stimulated by these examples, the concluding discussion considers how to maintain a person-centred approach in social work, being pro-active in developing positive uses and resisting the de-humanising and exclusionary impacts of digital technologies.
Authors
- Jane Shears (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7618-1456)
- Michal Segal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8234-1439)
- Elizabeth Reimer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3578-3466)
- Mai Yamaguchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3400-0813)
- Ana M. Sobočan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9468-5108)
- Netanel Gemara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3237-2928)
- Kim Strom
- Teresa Bertotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3670-0709)
- Sarah Banks (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2529-6413)
- María Jesús Úriz Pemán (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6695-9140)
- Daria Forlenza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0332-6789)
Institutions
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta (IT)
- University of Ljubljana (SI)
- Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA) (ES)
- Durham University (GB)
- University of Trento (IT)
- Japan Lutheran College (JP)
- Southern Cross University (AU)
- Tel Hai Academic College (IL)
- Universidad de Navarra (ES)
- University of Haifa (IL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Ethics and Social Welfare
- Published
- 2025-04-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17496535.2025.2512949
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 7.10