Ethical technology design for production systems: a human-centered approach at the LEONARDO learning factory

Industry 5.0 focuses on integrating advanced technologies with human-centric principles, aiming to empower workers rather than replace them. However, the ethical and human centric design of these technologies remains underexplored. This study addresses these gaps by applying a human-centered design (HCD) framework to three case studies involving different digital technologies, including digital twin, simulation, artificial intelligence and augmented reality. During a workshop involving participants from 12 European countries, impacts and concerns related to the design and use of these technologies on the company and society were explored. The analysis revealed key challenges, such as building trust in digital systems, ensuring alignment with human values, inclusivity across diverse user groups, and compliance with both human expertise and organizational goals, as well as covering sustainability concerns. Our research offers actionable design recommendations for creating transparent, adaptable, and inclusive technologies for production systems that align with human values. These recommendations contribute to both theory and practice, providing a roadmap for developers and engineers to design ethical, human-centric technologies that promote worker empowerment and address the risks associated with Industry 5.0 innovations.