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 ...

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DEC 2, 2019 Podcast

Gene Editing Governance & Dr. He Jiankui, with Jeffrey Kahn

Jeffrey Kahn, director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute for Bioethics, discusses the many governance issues connected to gene editing. Plus, he gives a first-hand ...

NOV 20, 2019 Podcast

Gene Editing: Overview, Ethics, & the Near Future, with Robert Klitzman

In the first in a series of podcasts on gene editing, Columbia's Dr. Robert Klitzman provides an overview of the technology, ethical and governance issues, ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1389061">pxhere/Public Domain</a>

NOV 13, 2019 Podcast

AI in the Arctic: Future Opportunities & Ethical Concerns, with Fritz Allhoff

How can artificial intelligence improve food security, medicine, and infrastructure in Arctic communities? What are some logistical, ethical, and governance challenges? Western Michigan's Professor Fritz ...

NOV 11, 2019 Transcript

The Ethical Algorithm, with Michael Kearns

Over the course of a generation, algorithms have gone from mathematical abstractions to powerful mediators of daily life. They have made our lives more efficient, ...

Launch of Atlas V carrying the Fifth Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite, Cape Canaveral, Florida, August 2019. <br>CREDIT: <a href="https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1932132/mobility-airmen-play-key-role-in-successful-satellite-launch/">U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dalton Williams</a>

NOV 6, 2019 Podcast

Carnegie New Leaders Podcast: The Future of Space Acquisition & Threats, with Maj. Gen. Nina M. Armagno

In conversation with intelligence analyst Amelia M. Wolf, Major General Nina M. Armagno of the U.S. Air Force discusses her role as director of ...

Palais des Nations, United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/unisgeneva/12537210603">UN Geneva/UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(CC)</a>

OCT 21, 2019 Podcast

The Individual & the Collective, Politics, & the UN, with Jean-Marie Guéhenno

Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Jean-Marie Guéhenno, former head of United Nations peacekeeping operations, discusses the tensions between the individual and the collective in a ...

Image via <a href="https://www.vpnsrus.com">www.vpnsrus.com</a>

OCT 7, 2019 Podcast

Making AI Work, Ethically & Responsibly, with Heather M. Roff

Heather M. Roff, senior research analyst at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, thinks some researchers are having the wrong conversations about AI. Instead of ...

OCT 3, 2019 Podcast

Climate Change, Intergenerational Ethics, & Political Responsibility, with Stephen Gardiner

University of Washington's Professor Stephen Gardiner discusses the ethics of climate change from intergenerational, political, and personal perspectives. Should individuals feel bad for using plastic ...

SEP 26, 2019 Podcast

Climate Change Law, Island Nations, & the UN, with Maxine Burkett

University of Hawaii's Professor Maxine Burkett discusses climate change from a legal perspective in this timely conversation. What are some strategies that island nations like ...

Khurais Oil Processing Facility in Saudi Arabia, February 2017. CREDIT: <a href=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Khurais_Oil_Processing_Facility,_Saudi_Arabia_by_Planet_Labs.jpg>Planet Labs, Inc. (CC)</a>.

SEP 18, 2019 Article

Candidates, Calculus, and the Iran Crisis

In choosing whether and how to respond to the attack on Saudi Arabian oil refineries, what is the calculus for determining action? Should the United ...