Anticipating sociotechnical and ethical challenges of future digital mental health technologies: A case for applied science fiction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.7276Keywords:
science fiction, technology assessment, futures studies, anticipatory governance, futures literacyAbstract
This practice-based research article defines, analyzes, and reflects on the use of applied science fiction (SF) for anticipating the sociotechnical and ethical challenges of future digital mental health technologies. It details the bespoke applied SF process designed for the 3‑year project, which involved creating two short SF stories and organizing their subsequent afterlife. The key findings of the project show the impact of this experience on the scientific team: They became aware of and attentive to possible societal implications of the projected technology and questioned taken-for-granted assumptions. Developing future-oriented critical reflexivity is part of futures literacy, which is essential to technology assessment but often overlooked.References
Böhnert, Martin (2025): Whose future? Epistemic challenges to the collective ‘we’ in long-term governance. In: TATuP – Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice 34 (2), pp. 15–20. https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.7205 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.7205
Douma, Kirsten; Karsenberg, Kim; Hummel, Marjan; Bueno-de-Mesquita, Jolien; van Harten, Wim (2007): Methodology of constructive technology assessment in health care. In: International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 23 (2), pp. 162–168. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266462307070262 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266462307070262
Firth, Zoë et al. (2025): Technology matters. AI-driven tools in children’s mental healthcare – perspectives from young people and parents. In: Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Advance Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.70045 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.70045
Grunwald, Armin (2020): The objects of technology assessment. Hermeneutic extension of consequentialist reasoning. In: Journal of Responsible Innovation 7 (1), pp. 96–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2019.1647086 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2019.1647086
Hofman, Peter; Elzen, Boelie; Geels, Frank (2004): Sociotechnical scenarios as a new policy tool to explore system innovations. Co-evolution of technology and society in The Netherland’s electricity domain. In: Innovation 6 (2), pp. 344–360. https://doi.org/10.5172/impp.2004.6.2.344 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5172/impp.2004.6.2.344
Mangnus, Astrid; Oomen, Jeroen; Vervoort, Joost; Hajer, Maarten (2021): Futures literacy and the diversity of the future. In: Futures 132, p. 102793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2021.102793 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2021.102793
Mayeur, Chloé; Howard, Heidi; Van Hoof, Wannes (2025): A citizen-centred approach to public engagement on the ethical, legal and societal issues of health technologies. In: Public Understanding of Science 34 (7), pp. 901–915. https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625251326490 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625251326490
Miller, Riel (ed.) (2018): Transforming the future. Anticipation in the 21st Century. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351048002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351048002
Mirheidari, Bahman; Bittar, André; Cummins, Nicholas; Downs, Johnny; Fisher, Helen; Christensen, Heidi (2024): Automatic detection of expressed emotion from five-minute speech samples. Challenges and opportunities. In: PLOS ONE 19 (3), p. e0300518. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300518 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300518
Montenegro, Cristian; Green, Judith (2025): Engagement and qualitative sociology in health research. Proximal, but incongruent. In: Social Theory & Health 23 (12), p. 12. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41285-025-00231-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41285-025-00231-y
Oram, Stephen (2023): Extracting humanity and other stories. Malton: Orchid’s Lantern Press.
Oram, Stephen (2026): Developing an AI-driven tool to analyse emotion in parental speech. Available online at https://stephenoram.net/fmss/, last accessed on 07.02.2026.
Rip, Arie; Kulve, Haico te (2008): Constructive technology assessment and socio-technical scenarios. In: Erik Fisher, Cynthia Selin and Jameson Wetmore (eds.): The yearbook of nanotechnology in society. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 49–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8416-4_4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8416-4_4
Sher-Censor, Efrat (2015): Five minute speech sample in developmental research. A review. In: Developmental Review 36, pp. 127–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2015.01.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2015.01.005
Urueña, Sergio (2022): Anticipation and modal power. Opening up and closing down the momentum of sociotechnical systems. In: Social Studies of Science 52 (5), pp. 783–805. https://doi.org/10.1177/03063127221111469 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/03063127221111469
Walton, Jo; Levontin, Polina (2023): Torque control. Apply science fiction here. In: Vector 297, pp. 3–7. Available online at https://vector-bsfa.com/2023/04/05/vector-futures-torque-control/, last accessed on 25.03.2026.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Christine Aicardi, Stephen Oram, Zoë Firth, Helen Fisher
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
