ethics

Depiction of a person looking at a screen full of code

Northeastern University launches Institute for Experiential Artificial Intelligence

The university is allocating $50 million for the pioneering research hub, which will place human skills and intelligence at the forefront of artificial intelligence development, from the earliest design steps to the final implementation.

by Khalida Sarwari and Laura Castañón October 3, 2019

CRISPR has been used to create genetically modified babies. Why are people so upset about it?

The Chinese researcher who announced that he has created the first genetically edited human infants has clearly violated scientific and ethical norms, said Northeastern ethicist Ronald Sandler. “This is a pretty clear case of the unethical use of a powerful new technology,” he said.

by Laura Castañón November 29, 2018

So the US has pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal. What does that mean to me?

President Trump has withdrawn the United States from the landmark international nuclear deal with Iran, announcing that stringent economic sanctions against Tehran will be reinstated. “How we’re better off in terms of U.S. national security, I’m not entirely clear,” said political science professor and terrorism theorist Max Abrahms.

by Greg St. Martin May 11, 2018

Why intent matters when posting after a tragedy

Following the deadly explosion at Manchester Arena in England on Monday, people took to social media to post about the incident, sparking a debate about what should (and shouldn’t) be amplified online after such an incident. John Basl, assistant professor of philosophy whose work focuses on issues of ethics, says it’s more telling to consider the intent behind what’s posted rather than its consequences.

by Molly Callahan May 24, 2017

Professors: Providing healthcare for non-US citizens a ‘moral obligation’

Calling it a “moral obligation” and a “global public good,” Northeastern professors Patricia Illingworth and Wendy Parmet posit that healthcare is a human rights issue, and that extending coverage in the U.S. to non-citizens could actually alleviate both the cost and care burdens on everyone.

by Molly Callahan February 23, 2017

3Qs: Debating the ethics of Rolling Stone’s controversial ‘El Chapo’ interview

Rolling Stone on Saturday published an article by Oscar-winning actor and activist Sean Penn that sparked a national debate about journalistic ethics. We spoke with John Wihbey, an assistant professor of journalism and new media at Northeastern, who examines the interview with noted Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

by Matthew McDonald January 14, 2016

First Pages takes students to Katrina’s aftermath

Sheri Fink, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of this year’s First Pages book Five Days at Memorial, spoke to new students Tuesday night about what she witnessed at a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina struck the city in 2005.

by Joe O'Connell September 4, 2014

The immigration debate in America

As part of Northeastern’s educational series on civic sustainability, a trio of Northeastern scholars led a discussion on immigration issues in the U.S. from a legal, philosophical, and criminal justice perspective.

by Greg St. Martin October 18, 2013

What do human research subjects have the right to know?

An interdisciplinary group of researchers from around the world converged at Northeastern last week to grapple with the ethics of informed consent when using humans as their subjects.

by Angela Herring October 4, 2013

3Qs: The ethics of species ‘de-extinction’

With the ability to clone animals from their genetic material, bringing back extinct species is no longer the stuff of science fiction. But is it ethical? We asked philosophy professor Ronald Sandler.

by Angela Herring March 22, 2013