Applied Ethics

Framing ethical perspectives

Applied ethics refers to the practical applications of the moral principles that govern behavior. Carnegie Council focuses on this field, mostly through the realm of international affairs, by identifying and addressing the most critical ethical issues of today and tomorrow. Our initiatives, content, and experts analyze the way that governments, institutions, and individuals interact and make choices on global issues, such as climate change, emerging technology, and governance.

Featured Applied Ethics Resources

Practical conversations, decision analysis, and more

JUL 5, 2023 Article

A Framework for the International Governance of AI

Carnegie Council, in collaboration with IEEE, proposes a five-part AI governance framework to enable the constructive use of AI.

APR 12, 2022 Podcast

Surveillance Tech's Infinite Loop of Harms, with Chris Gilliard

In this discussion with Senior Fellow Arthur Holland Michel, Chris Gilliard explains why the arc of surveillance technology and novel AI bends toward failures that ...

Explore Our Applied Ethics Resources

Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. CREDIT: <a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kutupalong_Refugee_Camp_(Maaz_Hussain-VOA).jpg>Maaz Hussain (CC)</a>.

APR 3, 2020 Article

Facing a Pandemic in the Dark

Over 1 million Rohingya refugees living in crowded, unsanitary conditions in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh could soon be facing their own COVID-19 outbreak. Making their situation even ...

Tehran's Azadi Tower lights in support of China against coronavirus, February 2020. CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Azadi_Tower_lights_in_support_of_China_against_coronavirus_2.jpg">Amin Yari (CC)</a>

MAR 18, 2020 Podcast

The Coronavirus Pandemic & International Relations, with Nikolas Gvosdev

With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting all aspects of daily life around the world, what will be the effect on international relations? Will it increase cooperation ...

Health checkpoints at an airport in Milan, Italy on February 7, 2020. CREDIT: <a href= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Emergenza_coronavirus_(49501382461).jpg> Protezione Civile (CC)</a>.

MAR 14, 2020 Article

Peace By Poison: How the Coronavirus Could Fix Globalization Problems

How is the COVID-19 pandemic stress-testing the international system? Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev writes that the virus is accelerating a series of disintegrative processes, which ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://pxhere.com/en/photo/948810">pxhere (CC)</a>

FEB 24, 2020 Podcast

The Future of Artificial Intelligence, with Stuart J. Russell

UC Berkley's Professor Stuart J. Russell discusses the near- and far-future of artificial intelligence, including self-driving cars, killer robots, governance, and why he's worried that ...

FEB 13, 2020 Podcast

Who Controls the Global Thermostat? with C2G's Janos Pasztor

With record-breaking winter warmth in Europe, catastrophic fires in Australia, and deadly flooding in Indonesia, we are deep into a climate crisis. In this wide-ranging ...

FEB 11, 2020 Podcast

Killer Robots, Ethics, & Governance, with Peter Asaro

Peter Asaro, co-founder of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, has a simple solution for stopping the future proliferation of killer robots, or lethal ...

FEB 4, 2020 Podcast

Do Morals Matter? Presidents & Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump, with Joseph Nye

How much do morals matter for U.S. presidents when it comes to international affairs? What are the ethics of "America First" or 2003 invasion of ...

World map with code. CREDIT: <a href=https://pixabay.com/illustrations/matrix-code-data-networking-1735640/>Pixabay (CC)</a>.

JAN 31, 2020 Article

Global Internet, Global Regulations

This essay written by Zahra Niazi is the third prize winner of the undergraduate category in the 2019 student essay contest. If cyberspace is an international ...

Terms and Conditions. CREDIT: <a href=https://www.behance.net/gallery/52947849/Stahlscom-terms-and-conditions-user-flow>Dave Goodman (CC)</a>.

JAN 31, 2020 Article

Sharing is Caring: Governing the Internet

This essay written by Sasa Jovanovic is the second prize winner of the undergraduate category in the 2019 student essay contest. What are the benefits of ...

Internet security. CREDIT: <a href=https://pixabay.com/photos/cyber-security-online-computer-2296269/>Pixabay (CC)</a>.

JAN 31, 2020 Article

IF Internet — THEN Free

This essay written by Evgeny Nedoborskiy is the first prize winner of the undergraduate category in the 2019 student essay contest. If we want to preserve ...