Quality Characteristic – Humaneness

This is a quality characteristic introduced by us, that relates to the famous laws of robotics as published in the book I, Robot by Isaac Asimov [Asimov 1950]. Intelligent machines could
potentially be harmful to humans or humanity. Therefore, when evaluating the quality of AI-based systems, humaneness is an important characteristic to consider.

Definition

Humaneness is the degree to which an intelligent system consistently demonstrates kindness, compassion, and respect for the diversity, dignity, and well-being of individuals —especially in contexts involving vulnerability or suffering— by treating users as unique human beings rather than abstract data points or stereotyped categories.

Notes:

This quality characteristic emphasizes the ethical and empathetic responsiveness of intelligent systems in real-world interactions.
Humaneness complements existing quality-in-use characteristics such as satisfaction, freedom from risk, and effectiveness, by explicitly addressing the moral and emotional dimensions of system behavior.
It is particularly relevant for AI systems making decisions that affect people’s lives (e.g. in healthcare, education, justice, or customer service).