Control, Personal Autonomy and Behaviour Change Technologies

MCML Authors

Sven Nyholm

Prof. Dr.

Core PI

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

In a 2018 commercial for the Apple Watch, the first thing the viewer sees is a man sitting on a couch, drinking coffee. The man then gets a surprised look on his face as he glances over and sees another version of himself, who is looking down at a smartwatch. The next frame zooms in on the watch, which displays the message ‘time to stand!’. Both versions of the man then stand up. Next, we see them walking down the street. Several other versions of this same man are using the watch in all sorts of ways: to make calls, to keep track of their exercising (one jogging version of the man looks down at a message that reads ‘behind target!’) and so on. Towards the end of the clip, we see the by far most sporty version of the man. Unlike the other versions of him, who are wearing t-shirts and some sweatpants, this sportiest version is wearing swimming trunks and swimming goggles. He runs down to the ocean, jumps in and starts swimming, looking very much like a man of action: a big contrast to the couch potato version of this man that we see at the beginning of the clip. As the commercial draws to a close, a text appears on the screen that reads ‘there’s a better you in you’. The message is clear: if you start using this smartwatch, you will become fitter, you will start achieving all of your goals and you will gain increased control over yourself and thus become a ‘better you’....

article Nyh25a

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Ethics of Behaviour Change Technologies: Beyond Nudging and Persuasion

Sep. 2025.

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Authors

S. Nyholm

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Links

DOI

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Research Area

 C5 | Humane AI