The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into focus the essential role of modeling and simulation in informing and advising governments, policy-makers and broader society. This demonstrates the profound influence that modelers can have in times of crisis. Drawing on diverse experiences in multiple techniques and from different methodological traditions, in this session we will discuss and share a broader notion of ‘responsibility’ in the modelling ecosystem.

The responsible and modelling simulation session will focus on latest developments, debates and challenges around responsible modelling practice, including but not limited to: building trust with the public through simulation; embedding transparency in model creation; unpacking the ethics of data integrity and quantification in modelling; identifying contextual factors and alternative perspectives and hypotheses in the modelling process; the role of the modeler in helping the user interpret results, and; methods for making explicit how models are framed including underlying assumptions. It will examine the chain of responsibility from the model commissioner, creator, user, and subsequent policy decisions that are made as a result of the simulation capability.

This session will help attendees become familiar and improve their existing knowledge about social, ethical, cultural, and economic dimensions of modelling and simulation. By bringing multiple perspectives, modelling approaches and experiences together, the session unpacks the relationship between models and society. Attendees will leave the session with practical advice, tools, and more importantly new questions about the notion of responsibility in context of modeling and the way it is distributed among wide range of actors involved in modelling and simulation work.