A Reference Architecture for Ethical-aware Autonomous Systems

Abstract

Background. Autonomous systems, whether AI-enabled or not, are ubiquitous and pervasive in our daily lives. While their adoption and use bring many benefits, they also pose significant ethical challenges. Objective. The objective of this work is to contribute a reference architecture for ethical-aware autonomous systems, focusing on their interaction and collaboration with humans, being them proactive, reactive or passive in the interaction with the systems. Method. To define the architecture, we analyzed scientific papers in the field, guidelines and recommendations, as well as laws and regulations. We then applied this acquired knowledge to build the reference architecture. The results of this work were validated through expert interviews and a scenario-based evaluation. Results. We contribute (i) a definition of ethical-aware autonomous systems, (ii) requirements for ethical-aware autonomous systems, and (iii) a reference architecture for ethical-aware autonomous systems. Our reference architecture is intended to help system and software engineers to design autonomous or intelligent systems that should interact and operate with humans in ethically sensitive contexts such as healthcare, social robotics, and assistive technologies. Conclusion. We believe that this work will assist software architects and engineers in designing and developing autonomous systems that should interact and collaborate with humans while respecting values important to individuals, society, and the environment.

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Cite as: M. Autili, M. De Sanctis, P. Inverardi, M. Memon, P. Pelliccione, S. Pettinari. A Reference Architecture for Ethical-aware Autonomous Systems. Journal of Systems and Software, 2026

@article{autiliDIMPP25,
  author       = {Marco Autili and
                  Martina De Sanctis and
                  Paola Inverardi and
                  Mashal Afzal Memon and
                  Patrizio Pelliccione and
                  Sara Pettinari
                  },
  title        = {A Reference Architecture for Ethical-aware Autonomous Systems},
  journal      = {Journal of Systems and Software},
  volume       = {235},
  number       = {112749},
  pages        = {},
  year         = {2026},
  publisher    = {Elsevier}
}