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
MAY 10, 2022 • Podcast
Making Decisions When Values Conflict or Are Prioritized Differently, with Paul Root Wolpe
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 ...
Related Initiatives
Carnegie Ethics Accelerator
The Carnegie Ethics Accelerator is a new kind of incubator designed to empower ethics in the face of swiftly evolving challenges in technology and public policies.
Ethics & International Affairs Journal
Ethics & International Affairs is the quarterly journal of Carnegie Council. It aims to close the gap between the theory and practice of ethics.
Carnegie Ethics Fellows
The Carnegie Ethics Fellows program (CEF) seeks to cultivate the next generation of ethical global leaders across business, policy, technology, NGOs, and academia.
Explore Our Applied Ethics Resources
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, ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
SEP 9, 2019 • Article
Transactionalism and U.S. Foreign Aid
A draft of a new presidential directive on American foreign aid suggests that transactionalism will shift from being a rhetorical device to an actual defining ...