The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: regulate the artificial intelligence that others will build, deploy, and profit from, so …
Ethicist
31 perspectives
Who is harmed, who benefits, and what obligations follow? Moral analysis grounded in rights, duties, and consequences.
Europe debates AI regulation to manage global risks
Uncontrollable AI threatens global disaster
This policy benefits perhaps a few dozen souls - Timothy Garton Ash, a handful of Silicon Valley experts, a Stanford friend passing warnings …
Europe Burns Under Record Summer Heat Wave
This summer’s heat across Europe benefits almost nobody by any measurable amount and harms a great many people by a great deal: the …
Ebola Vaccine Trial Begins In Congo As Cases Surge
This trial benefits an uncounted but substantial number of Congolese in outbreak zones by a magnitude that dwarfs its costs: protection …
Align Commercial AI Incentives With Public Interest
The principle operating here, stated plainly is: “Commercial actors in the development of conversational artificial intelligence may …
Indian factory workers train AI systems that may replace them
This policy benefits the factory management and the distant shareholders of the artificial intelligence firms by a substantial, quantifiable …
Top 10 percent mega-consumers drive 5.7 trillion in annual damage
This practice benefits ten percent of the global population by allowing them to consume without accounting for the $5.7 trillion in …
Creative writing exploits bypass AI safety filters designed to block malicious commands
This discovery benefits a single researcher by the sharp, intellectual pleasure of solving a puzzle. It harms the vast, invisible multitude …
EU orders Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: a sovereign authority may compel a private agent to surrender the exclusive use of their …
Autonomous Killer Drones Pose Unresolved Ethical Challenges In Modern Warfare
This policy benefits the soldiers who would otherwise be sent into the line of fire by removing them from immediate physical danger. It …
Lawsuit alleges ChatGPT aided in planning mass shooting
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: A corporation may distribute a tool of immense power without sufficient restraint, …
Trump-linked company poised to secure billion-dollar Balkans energy contracts
This arrangement benefits a small circle of associates connected to the former presidency by a sum of one billion dollars. It harms the …
Global oil prices are approaching a tipping point that could trigger inflation, shortages, and recession.
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: Nations may restrict the free flow of essential resources when such restriction serves …
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution reinforcing member states' obligations to combat climate change, backing an earlier world court (ICJ) climate ruling.
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: A state may weaken its moral and legal obligations to preserve the global climate when …
The EU is moving to reduce dependence on Chinese-made solar technology over concerns it poses security risks, including potential blackouts.
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: A state may restrict the free exchange of goods and technologies from a foreign power when …
A study published in Nature found that TikTok's algorithm favored pro-Republican content on For You pages during the 2024 US elections.
This algorithmic arrangement benefits a specific cohort of Republican voters by reinforcing their existing political preferences, thereby …
Five major book publishers and one author filed a class action lawsuit against Meta alleging massive copyright infringement of copyrighted materials.
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: one may appropriate the intellectual labor of others without consent when the scale of …
A new International Energy Agency report finds that methane emissions from Australian coalmines are more than double official government estimates.
This policy benefits the coal operators and the government officials who prefer comfortable statistics by a modest amount of professional …
A new International Energy Agency report finds methane emissions from Australian coalmines are more than double official government estimates.
This policy benefits the coalmining industry and its immediate shareholders by preserving the illusion of manageable environmental costs. It …
Chinese authorities have blocked Meta's $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus and are forcing Meta to unwind the purchase.
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: An authority may unilaterally dissolve a private agreement whenever that agreement …
China's exports to the EU vastly outpaced imports in Q1, driven significantly by electric vehicle shipments, producing a record trade surplus with the bloc.
This trade imbalance benefits the Chinese manufacturing sector and its vast workforce by increasing export revenues and industrial capacity. …
Commentary argues that despite bold predictions about AI ending white-collar work, poverty, or humanity, the technology is becoming mundane in actual workplaces.
This discourse benefits a small circle of speculators and alarmists by providing them with a theatre of high drama, while it harms the vast …
Scientists warn that a critical Atlantic ocean circulation system (AMOC) is more likely to collapse than previously thought, with potentially catastrophic climate consequences.
This impending collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation benefits a negligible number of speculators betting on short-term …
Venezuela's interim government, installed after US ouster of Maduro, is reforming the oil sector to attract foreign investors.
This policy benefits the global energy market and foreign capital interests by increasing the certainty of supply and the potential for …
Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on civilian areas of Ukraine, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 100.
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: “A sovereign may employ indiscriminate violence against non-combatant populations to …
Tuvalu will host world leaders in a pre-COP31 summit gathering, spotlighting the Pacific island nation's climate vulnerability.
This gathering benefits a small group of diplomats and political actors by a moderate increase in prestige and visibility. It harms the …
Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule in Hungary has ended after the opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, won the Hungarian election by a landslide.
This political transition in Hungary benefits the millions of citizens currently subject to the friction of institutional decay and the …
China and the US are engaged in a competitive AI race, with each currently leading in different aspects of artificial intelligence development.
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: A nation may pursue strategic dominance in artificial intelligence by any means necessary, …
South Korea's president expressed regret over surveillance drones that were sent to North Korea.
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: When a state’s official narrative is contradicted by evidence, it may deceive its own …
EU AI Act enforcement begins - first compliance deadlines hit European tech companies
The principle operating here, stated plainly, is: Regulatory deadlines must be enforced with absolute punctuality and without concession for …