What is Value-based Engineering (VbE), and why does Spiekermann consider value lists insufficient?

VbE, developed by Sarah Spiekermann and standardised largely in IEEE 7000, is a process-driven, holistic approach to building ethics into system development. Generic value lists are insufficient because they don't capture the values of a specific context or say how to realise them in a system.

Spiekermann describes the status quo as passivity and value lists: ethics gets attention only when a corporate audit, the GDPR, fines, bad press or customer complaints force it. The five most common values on such lists are transparency, fairness, non-maleficence, accountability and privacy.

Complying with such a list is not enough. VbE replaces it with a process: elicit the values of a specific system with its stakeholders, prioritise them, and turn them into system requirements. It is backed by ten principles for action.