Artefatti regolativi digitali

Regulatory artifacts are «material artifacts designed and created to regulate behaviour.» In addition to their material dimension, regulatory artifacts can also have a digital dimension; in this case, they are “digital regulatory artifacts.” These digital regulatory artifacts can produce different forms of regulations. Digital regulatory artifacts can be deontic if they influence human behaviour by creating or communicating norms. Digital regulatory artifacts can, for instance, indicate what is permitted or prohibited on a digital platform. Digital regulatory artifacts can also be non-deontic; for example, advanced driver-assistance systems, such as automatic speed regulation, can translate norms into instructions for the vehicle’s electronic system. The code activates a causal mechanism that determines speed reduction regardless of whether the driver intends to follow a rule. The transposition of norms into automated mechanisms is problematical, since it affects the balance between technological efficiency and individual freedom, necessitating careful consideration of its ethical and social implications.