Disruptive Technologies and Open Science: How Open Should Open Science Be? A 'Third Bioethics' Ethical Framework

Area of Science:

• Ethics of Science and Technology
• Open Science
• Disruptive Technologies
• Artificial Intelligence Ethics

Background:

• Open science (OS) promotes knowledge democratization for societal benefit.
• Disruptive technologies, including generative AI, possess scalability, global impact potential, and dual-use risks.
• A tension exists between OS principles and the open dissemination of potentially hazardous technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the ethical implications of applying OS practices to disruptive technologies.
• To develop an ethical framework for governing the intersection of OS and disruptive technologies.
• To explore how OS can foster beneficial advancements or introduce threats through these technologies.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of ethical principles.
• Examination of concrete examples illustrating OS and disruptive technology interactions.
• Application of Van Rennselaer Potter's 'third bioethics' as a foundational concept.

Main Results:

• Open science practices create ethical dilemmas when applied to disruptive technologies.
• The 'as open as possible' tenet may be insufficient for managing risks.
• Openness is best viewed as an instrumental value, not an absolute principle.

Conclusions:

• An ethical framework is proposed to navigate the complexities of open science and disruptive technologies.
• This framework prioritizes ethical values beyond mere openness.
• Responsible innovation requires a nuanced approach to knowledge dissemination for high-impact technologies.