Ethical Decisions in Technological Societies

Emerging technologies are increasingly presenting us with profound questions about how we can, and how we should, arrange our society. As artificial intelligence, robotics, and related systems promise great benefits, we are nonetheless left to grapple with the challenges. What aspects of our personal lives, and of public life, do we want to automate? Should we outsource delicate tasks—such as governance, transportation, and even science—to sophisticated machines? Even if doing so provides improvements in efficiency or accuracy, how should we deal with, and who (or what) should be held responsible for, the occasional oversights of technological systems? With the increasing capabilities and increasing prevalence of emerging technologies, decisions bearing great ethical significance must be addressed, and we urge diverse stakeholders—from academic fields and policymaking to private corporations and the wider public—to come together, to raise their awareness and constructively raise their voices.

Confirmed speakers include: David Danks, Data Science and Philosophy, University of California, San Diego, and Lily Irani, Communications and Computer Science, University of California, San Diego.

This conference will take place in-person, on campus at the University of San Diego, and online over the course of two days, Friday April 14 and Saturday, April 15, 2023.