Promises / Manual Labor Paradox: The Accountability Style of On-site Validation in Microbiology Laboratory Automation
Yrivarren, Joaquin (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Social)
Jacomuzzi, Alessandra C. (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia.Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage)
Domènech i Argemí, Miquel (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Social)

Fecha:	2026
Descripción:	22 pag.
Resumen:	This study investigates the role of validation reports in legitimizing laboratory automation through AI and robotic systems in clinical microbiology. Based on a qualitative analysis of 30 reports authored by expert microbiologists between 2016 and 2023 across eight countries-Australia, Belgium, China, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the UK-, we examine how technological promises are made accountable. Building on STS and the sociology of expectations, we approach these reports not as mere sources of "objective" information, but as instruments of accountability that link future-oriented promises with conventional laboratory practices-particularly manual labor. We argue that they embody a distinct accountability style, diverging from the ethics-driven approach often found in STS's most influential contributions. Automation promises-largely framed through managerial values-actualize their contractual character when articulated through metrics designed to assess satisfactory performance. Yet numerical results alone are insufficient to legitimize devices that mostly match the performance of manual labor. A paradox emerges: while manual labor serves as the gold standard against which automation is assessed, for automation to be validated, manual labor must be discursively problematized as an "entrenched habit"-a hindrance to addressing contemporary healthcare challenges. We contend that this is an essential feature of the validation accountability style.
Derechos:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Lengua:	Anglès
Documento:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Materia:	Accountability ; Robotics and AI applications ; Credibility ; Techno-scientific promises ; Legitimation ; Manual labor
Publicado en:	Science, Technology, & Human Values, 2026 (First published online May 4) , ISSN 1552-8251

DOI: 10.1177/01622439261442678

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