IEEE 7000-2021: Model Process for Addressing Ethical Concerns during System Design
IEEE 7000-2021 provides a set of processes by which organizations can embed ethical values into system design from concept exploration through delivery. Published September 2021 by the IEEE Computer Society, it is the first IEEE standard focused specifically on value-based engineering (VBE).
Also published as IEEE/ISO/IEC 24748-7000:2022 — the international variant with identical scope.
Primary reference: IEEE 7000-2021 — official standard page
Core Approach: Value-Based Engineering
IEEE 7000 treats ethical values (fairness, transparency, privacy, autonomy, human dignity) as first-class engineering requirements — not afterthoughts. It defines processes for:
| Process | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Value elicitation | Identify ethical values relevant to the system and its stakeholders |
| Value prioritization | Resolve conflicts between competing values through structured stakeholder dialogue |
| Ethical risk assessment | Identify and evaluate risks to values throughout the concept and design phases |
| Values traceability | Track ethical values through operational concepts, requirements, and design decisions |
Quality Attributes Emphasized
| Quality Attribute | Relevance |
|---|---|
| Explainability | Systems must be designed so that decisions and behaviors can be understood and accounted for — a prerequisite for ethical accountability. |
| Fairness | Value elicitation and prioritization processes explicitly address fair treatment of all affected stakeholder groups. |
| Accountability | Values traceability creates an auditable chain from ethical requirements to design decisions and system behavior. |
| Transparency | Stakeholder communication processes require open disclosure of value trade-offs and design rationale. |
| Bias Mitigation | Ethical risk assessment requires identifying where system design could cause disproportionate harm to specific groups. |
| Traceability | The ethical values traceability process is the structural backbone of the standard. |
| Autonomy | Human autonomy and dignity are named values that must be elicited, assessed, and preserved in system design. |
Relationship to Other Standards
- ISO/IEC 42001 — AI management system standard; IEEE 7000 provides the ethical design process that feeds ISO 42001’s AI impact assessment and governance requirements.
- NIST AI RMF — complementary risk management framework; IEEE 7000 addresses ethical value design, NIST AI RMF addresses operational risk management.
- ISO/IEC TR 24028 — trustworthiness in AI; shares the accountability, transparency, and fairness vocabulary with IEEE 7000.
- IEEE 2857 — privacy engineering; same IEEE family, often applied together for privacy-sensitive systems.