Beyond the Hype: 4 Ethical Considerations for Wearable Technology

The potential for positive impact is clear; however, we can’t deny the concerns regarding privacy, algorithmic bias, and the danger of technology to undermine human autonomy.

As wearable tech continues to establish itself in the rhythm of our daily lives — a critical question demands our attention: how can we ensure its development is ethical and benefits everyone? The potential for positive impact is clear, with the ability to improve health, empower individuals, and enhance accessibility. However, we can’t deny the concerns regarding privacy, algorithmic bias, and the danger of technology to undermine human autonomy.

These are issues that will require thoughtful consideration and brave action if we want to create a future where wearable tech truly serves humanity, not the other way around. Let’s unpack these concerns and explore how we might navigate the positive potential of this technology while safeguarding our values and, ultimately, our well-being.

1. Data Dilemma: Privacy and Security

As wearables become increasingly sophisticated, so does the amount of personal data they capture. And it’s a lot: from your steps to your temperature, your location to your sleep cycles, and your heartbeat to subtle shifts in mood — not to mention that several smartwatches can record data from your body every second. These devices paint an intimate portrait of who we are. The allure of self-discovery and personalization is undeniable, but one guiding question remains — what will be the cost of sharing this much information?

Imagine a world where your health data becomes a weapon, denying you insurance or limiting your life choices. Or, consider what may happen if your location history is exploited, leading to discrimination, stalking, or manipulation. These are not mere dystopian fantasies; they are the potential consequences of a data-driven world where privacy is not prioritized.

Robust security measures, including encryption and strong authentication protocols, are crucial to protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access and nearly guaranteed breaches. However, the ultimate safeguard lies in user control. Individuals must be empowered to access, manage, and export or delete their data as they see fit. This is not just a matter of convenience — it is a critical safeguard in the digital age and one we must get right.

2. Fairness in the Algorithm Age

Another area that we’ll need to examine closely is that of fabricated, synthesized bias, ethical fading*, and the moving target of fairness. I am not an expert in development, machine learning, or code, so I am only raising this concern as a torch to help guide the conversation: we know that AI algorithms embedded in wearables can perpetuate existing biases in data collection, leading to discriminatory outcomes for certain groups of individuals.Thankfully, organizations like the Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency in Machine Learning (FAT/ML) are working to safeguard these processes and define fairness.

The FAT/ML community offers this principle for developers and leaders in this field: “Ensure that algorithmic decisions do not create discriminatory or unjust impacts when comparing across different demographics (e.g., race, sex, etc).”

A 2023 study by Stanford University found that fitness trackers tend to underestimate calorie expenditure for women and people of color, potentially discouraging them from using these devices for health improvement. This highlights the need for diverse datasets in training algorithms to avoid perpetuating such biases.

Likewise, we see this in the insurance and healthcare sectors when, in a 2019 ProPublica investigation, it was discovered that an algorithm used by a healthcare company to identify high-risk patients for hospital readmission had disproportionately flagged Black patients, demonstrating the potential for algorithms to amplify existing health disparities if not carefully designed and tested for fairness.

We must do the hard work of exploring how fairness and inclusivity in data collection, algorithm development, and user experience design can ensure that AI wearable technology serves all members of society equitably.

3. Human-AI Interaction: Balancing Control and Well-being

The constant monitoring and feedback provided by wearables can have surprising, and even significant implications for mental health and well-being. For example, overreliance on AI-driven recommendations, data overload, and potential for addiction necessitate a nuanced approach that prioritizes user autonomy, transparency in decision-making algorithms, and features that promote healthy digital habits.

This challenge coalesces at what is referred to as the Internet of Humans (IoH) — a concept that envisions a future where human data is seamlessly interconnected, monitored, recorded, and then displayed with the internet. The integrated nature of this IoH would provide unprecedented insights into human behavior and physiology, with potential applications across design, healthcare, learning, education, and even civil engineering or infrastructure.

On one hand, we can imagine the speed of the internet, powered by AI, all working to our advantage to compute data patterns, health reports, biofeedback, multiple languages, and even real-time traffic information to provide us with an optimized schedule for productivity and meditation, the fastest commuter route, ways to connect with our global colleagues, and much, much more.

However, the vast amount of personal data collected in the IoH could be vulnerable to hacking and misuse, and access to IoH technology may not be equitable. This could all potentially cause further harm by magnifying existing social and economic inequalities. Not to mention that overreliance on AI-driven recommendations and data overload could negatively impact mental well-being and autonomy.

Consider how constant global news and social media feeds have impacted us already; similarly, unlimited access to our own data could potentially cause an increase in anxiety and fear in our lives.

4. Beyond the Tech: Design Considerations

Designers have a unique opportunity to address these ethical concerns through innovative and responsible design practices. This includes:

• Transparency and User Control: Designing interfaces that clearly communicate data usage and provide users with intuitive control over their privacy settings, preferences, and settings.
• Inclusive and Equitable Design: Creating accessible wearables for diverse needs and abilities, mitigating potential biases in data collection and algorithms.
• Psychological Well-being: Prioritizing features that promote mental health and prevent negative impacts of self-tracking, such as stress and anxiety.
• Sustainable and Ethical Manufacturing: Utilizing AI to optimize production processes, minimize environmental impact, and ensure ethical sourcing of materials.
• Social Impact and Community Design: Developing wearables that address social challenges and foster inclusive collaboration within communities.
• Collaboration and Open Innovation: Encouraging collaboration between designers, ethicists, and users to ensure responsible development and democratize access to design resources.

Remembering the Positive Potential

While acknowledging the ethical challenges, overlooking the positive potential of AI wearable technology would be a missed opportunity. When designed ethically, wearables can:

• Improve health and well-being by tracking health data, providing personalized feedback, and encouraging healthy behaviors.
• Disrupt the market by transcending multiple categories, genres, and industries.
• Empower individuals by providing access to information and resources, facilitating communication and connection, and enhancing accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
• Promote sustainability by monitoring environmental data and supporting sustainable practices.

Addressing ethical concerns and focusing on responsible design is only the beginning — but it should be required reading, so to speak, for anyone and everyone looking to enter this field and create wearable technology that fulfills its promise of improving life for all. The journey ahead requires careful consideration, generous collaboration, and a commitment to ethical principles that prioritizes human well-being and elevates beauty over technology.

“Wearables could enable us to better understand ourselves, connect with others, and experience our shared world in ways previously unimaginable,” but it must begin with transparency and clear boundaries from the development community. Once again, it must be noted that integration will be key as multiple teams will have to work with leadership and change-makers to ensure the data they collect and the data they are using is safeguarded with integrity.

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* The increasing reliance on machine learning rather than human decision making can contribute to a phenomenon known as “ethical fading,” wherein individual people or organizations suspend their ethical reasoning and make decisions based on other factors such as financial or practical considerations. Read more here, p3.