Responsibility-Enhancing Assistive Technologies and People with Autism

Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 2020 Oct;29(4):607-616. doi: 10.1017/S0963180120000353.

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the role assistive technologies (ATs) might play in helping people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a concomitant responsibility deficit become more morally responsible. Toward this goal, the authors discuss the philosophical concept of responsibility, with a reliance on Nicole Vincent's taxonomy of responsibility concepts. They then outline the ways in which ASD complicates ascriptions of responsibility, particularly responsibility understood as a capacity. Further, they explore the ways in which ATs might improve a person's capacity so that responsibility can be properly ascribed to them. After demonstrating that although assistive technologies are likely to be able to enhance a person's capacity in such a way so that responsibility can be ascribed to them, the authors assert that these technologies will have a number of additional effects on the other aspects of the concept of responsibility.

Keywords: assistive technologies; autism; moral enhancement; responsibility.

MeSH terms

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder*
  • Autistic Disorder*
  • Humans
  • Self-Help Devices*