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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AUG 19, 2021 Podcast

The Doorstep: The Future of Afghanistan Roundtable Discussion, with Ali M Latifi & Said Sabir Ibrahimi

Ali M Latifi, Kabul-based journalist for Al Jazeera English, and Said Sabir Ibrahimi, non-resident fellow with NYU's Center on International Cooperation, join "Doorstep" co-hosts Nick ...

JUL 29, 2021 Podcast

Artificial Intelligence, Justice, & the Rule of Law

In this episode of the "Artificial Intelligence & Equality" podcast, Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen is joined by Thunderbird School of Global Management's Nicholas Davis and University ...

JUL 27, 2021 Podcast

The Ethics of Global Vaccine Distribution, Part Three, with Florencia Luna

In the third podcast in a series on the COVID-19 pandemic and the ethics of global vaccine distribution, FLASCO's Dr. Florencia Luna details the situation ...

JUL 14, 2021 Podcast

The Ethics of Global Vaccine Distribution, Part Two, with Ezekiel J. Emanuel

In the second podcast in a series on the COVID-19 pandemic and the ethics of global vaccine distribution, University of Pennsylvania's Ezekiel Emanuel discusses the ...

JUL 7, 2021 Podcast

Soft Law Approaches to AI Governance

In this Artificial Intelligence & Equality podcast, Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen speaks with Arizona State's Gary Marchant and Carlos Ignacio Gutierrez about their work characterizing soft ...

JUN 29, 2021 Podcast

The Ethics of Global Vaccine Distribution, Part One, with Cécile Fabre

As we enter the summer of 2021, some nations are seeing vaccination rates of around 50 percent, effectively ending the imminent threat of COVID-19; others are still ...

JUN 24, 2021 Podcast

AI & Equality Initiative: Think Before You Code

ThinkTech is an independent nonprofit association, started by and for students, young technologists, and professionals working to shape the impact of artificial intelligence and other ...

Italian navy rescues asylum seekers in the Mediterranean off the coast of Africa, June 2014. <br>CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vfutscher/42322119744">Massimo Sestini/Polaris</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(CC)</a>.

JUN 20, 2021 Article

The World's Refugee System Needs to be Made Responsible

Today, we are faced with an unfair and ultimately unsustainable refugee system that simultaneously increases human suffering while placing the burden of hosting refugees on ...

JUN 9, 2021 Podcast

Illiberal Democracy on the Rise: Examining Brazil, Hungary, & India

The post-World War II liberal order faces unprecedented upheaval as countries and their leaders retreat from globalism, embrace nationalism, and attack democratic norms. Whether it’...

JUN 2, 2021 Article

Narrowing Hearts and Minds: Diagnosing the Global Rise of Illiberal Democracy

From Hungary to India to Brazil to the United States, there is no doubt that illiberalism is on the rise, writes Joel Rosenthal, president of ...