Peter Novitzky

‘The opportunities and risks of technology are two sides of the same coin’

Peter Novitzky, associate professor at the Smart Public Safety research group

Peter Novitzky has built up a truly global reputation, having worked at universities all over the world – from Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK to countries far beyond Europe, such as Canada and Singapore. Avans University of Applied Sciences is therefore particularly pleased that Novitzky decided to join the Smart Public Safety research group as an associate professor in October 2023. He is also still affiliated with University College London as a senior researcher. Novitzky specialises in ethics and emerging technologies: “AI will radically change our society in many ways. Seizing opportunities and mitigating risks are two sides of the same coin, and my job is to help guide that process from a critical perspective.”

Some ideas are more brilliant than others. According to Novitzky, Professor Ben Kokkeler’s suggestion to meet for a cup of coffee once a month undoubtedly falls into the first category: “Ben and I know each other from the international research world, and at his urging we’d been meeting for coffee on a regular basis for several years. When he told me about the opening on his team at Avans, I was working in Canada, but it seemed like an interesting role to me right away. The new way of thinking about technology, taking into account ethical, legal and social aspects, is very big in the Netherlands. Plus, I already knew the Netherlands, as my first and third postdoc positions were at the universities of Twente and Wageningen, and I’d taught at Eindhoven University of Technology. I also had a very good relationship with Ben because I’d worked with him on a study before, which was a good experience, and I considered the many research opportunities I’d have at Avans. So I said yes.”

Drones

The study Novitzky worked on with Kokkeler, back in 2016, focused on the ethical issues surrounding the use of drones. “Drones were originally developed for military purposes, but they can also support the police and firefighters, for example. And then there’s the commercial potential as well. At the same time, drones represent a major invasion of privacy. Our research focused on formulating criteria for responsible use, at the intersection of military and non-military deployment.”

Rapid developments

Novitzky has a broad and impressive academic track record: not only did he graduate magna cum laude in bioethics, he also holds a PhD in applied philosophy. “It’s the combination of those perspectives that I find so interesting. AI can do a lot of good for our society, but only if we have dedicated people making sure the negatives are kept in check,” he explains. Our society is facing profound changes, he says. “Take the arrival of ChatGPT, a free chatbot that can write anything you want thanks to artificial intelligence and large language models. This will have a huge impact on the labour market: certain jobs will soon become redundant. Developments in AI are moving so fast that it’s difficult to look even five years ahead, so I’m not going to venture any predictions.”

Still, he doesn’t share the existential concerns some seem to have. “I don’t believe AI is about to take over our lives. I mostly see opportunities. At Oxford, I worked on a study that looked at how AI could be used to protect people against phone scams, a form of crime that has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Many of the victims of these scams are elderly people, who may be asked to give personal information, transfer money or buy gift cards for the scammer. It’s technically feasible to install an app on your phone that recognises certain patterns of manipulation and alerts you before it’s too late.”

AI against domestic violence

In 2023, Novitzky worked with the Violence in Dependency Relationships research group to conduct a literature review on the use of AI in preventing domestic violence. “It’s definitely already possible to use technology and data analytics to recognise and prevent imminent domestic violence. But we still don’t know enough about the responsible use of these tools. Our research showed that we need to be cautious about making assumptions based on data,” he explains.

Noord-Brabant ELSA Lab

In his role at the Centre of Expertise for a Safe & Resilient Society, Novitzky is the academic lead for the Noord-Brabant ELSA Lab, a partnership with the municipalities of ’s-Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven, Helmond, Tilburg and Breda, initiated by the Smart Public Safety research group. ELSA stands for Ethical, Legal and Societal impact Analysis: an internationally proven, evidence-based method for assessing the consequences of specific technological applications. The Noord-Brabant ELSA Lab focuses on cases developed by the Centre of Expertise in collaboration with I-Partnerschap. Visit the website for more information.

Staying independent

Over the coming period, Novitzky will work with the Centre of Expertise for Future Health to explore the use of smart technology in elder care. “This would allow people with extra care needs to continue living at home for longer without compromising their safety, even if they have dementia. You could install sensors that send out an alert if someone falls, for example, or use technology that reminds people when it’s time to take their medication,” he explains. “Now that I’m working for Avans full-time, we can intensify our research in this area. By bringing together experts from all kinds of fields – from healthcare providers to legal scholars, and from technical specialists to policymakers – we hope to contribute to a strong innovation climate. There’s a lot of focus on elder care around the world right now, so I’ll definitely be serving as a bridge between my international network and Avans.”

The easiest way to contact Peter Novitzky is by sending him an email at p.novitzky@avans.nl.