The Internet of Kant: Respect as a Lens for IoT Design

Abstract

The ethical challenges posed by smart home devices are numerous and widely reported in the CHI literature, but these contributions often identify norms and other factors that are highly context specific. In this position paper, I argue for the use of respect as a philosophical lens with which multifarious ethical concerns can be untangled across devices. After briefly defining directive, obstacle, recognition, and care respect in the context of smart devices, I demonstrate how these concepts can be used to navigate two specific problem points in the smart home.