Research

The Chair fosters basic and applied research on frontier challenges in the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence. It promotes both discipline-specific and interdisciplinary investigations. Current focus areas appear below.

1

AI and the Future of Democracy

AI forces us to reassess the foundations of democratic ideals and fortify democratic theory in the face of new challenges. If AI might someday be able to govern us better than we can govern ourselves, what does this tell us about the nature and strength of democracy’s justification? Numerous initiatives seek to transform democratic systems with AI. What normative assumptions underly proposals for augmented democracy, and are these assumptions defensible? The Chair’s work in this area seeks to upgrade our understanding of democracy for the age of AI and help guide efforts to protect and strengthen democratic values.

2

Distributing Authority in AI Governance
When it comes to governing AI, what powers should lie with companies versus governments, with governments versus supranational bodies, or with developers versus end-users? For instance, it is commonly said that self-regulation by companies is not enough to manage the ethical challenges of AI, but what exactly is the appropriate role, if any, for industry self-regulation? The Chair’s work in this area seeks to advance understanding of the norms for distributing authority and responsibility among multiple stakeholders.

3

AI for Good
AI ethics is not only about avoiding harm and injustice; it is also about leveraging AI to solve social problems and advance wellbeing. The Chair’s work in this area focuses on identifying promising areas where AI can be a force for positive change, piloting and testing alternative strategies, and analyzing ethical dilemmas that arise in various efforts to use AI for social benefit. These dilemmas include, e.g., distributing scarce benefits among different potential beneficiaries and addressing imbalances of power between benefactors and beneficiaries.

4

AI at Work
AI has the potential to transform the relationship between humans and labor. It can automate tasks and professions, create and intensify inequalities, and rearrange power dynamics in the workplace. How should workers, employers, and governments respond to these opportunities and challenges? The Chair’s work in this area focuses on assessing the values and risks at stake and the policy options available for managing them.