Centre for Applied Ethics

Unit for the Ethics of Technology

The Unit for the Ethics of Technology is the newest unit of the Centre for Applied Ethics. It was established with the view to address the myriad, inevitable ethical issues that arise out of our relationship with technology. Recent technological innovations have only exacerbated the need for ethical reflection that arises out of the creation and use of technology. Very few aspects of contemporary life can be said to have been left untouched by the rapid development of new and emerging technologies, particularly digital, information and communication technologies, and it is no different with ethics as a discipline.

One of the main aims of the Unit is to provide an inter-disciplinary platform that allows for in-depth engagement with ethical matters relating to technology and our use thereof. In addition, the Unit has the special aim to serve as a locus where rigorous academic research on ethical concerns relating to technology is brought to bear on the practical problems that its creators and everyday users face. Broadly speaking, our focus areas include the development, design, and use of technology, as well as our interactions with and attitudes towards it. More information on current and recent research projects is available here.

The Unit also hosts the informal Data and Computational Ethics Research Group, bringing together applied ethical and more theoretical philosophical research relating to technology, especially digital, informational, and communication, technologies.