Five Penn State researchers affiliated with the Rock Ethics Institute will participate in an international workshop Oct. 20-22 in Freiburg, Germany, marking the beginning of a new collaboration between the institute and the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) at the University of Freiburg.
The collaboration brings a new dimension to an established relationship between Penn State and the University of Freiburg. The universities formalized a strategic partnership in 2014 and expanded their research collaboration in 2019 through an agreement focused on living materials and their potential applications, including associated ethical questions.
The workshop, "Sustainability and Technology: Ethical Perspectives," will bring together scholars from multiple institutions and disciplines to examine ethical challenges arising from technological developments, including artificial intelligence, climate-risk research, environmental sustainability and human relationships. Several sessions will be available on Zoom: Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. ET; Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 7:30 a.m. to noon ET; and Thursday, Oct. 22, from 7 to 11 a.m. ET.
The event is organized by FRIAS' Young Academy for Sustainability Research and Penn State's Rock Ethics Institute (REI).
Désirée Lim, associate professor of philosophy and public policy and associate director of REI, will deliver a public keynote address, "Relational Risks of Generative Artificial Intelligence," on Oct. 20.
Lim's presentation will examine how the growing use of generative AI in personal communication may affect relationships, particularly when individuals rely on AI to compose messages such as apologies.
"Artificial intelligence is changing not only how we communicate, but how we understand one another," Lim said. "As these technologies become part of our everyday relationships, we need to consider what may be lost when communication no longer necessarily reflects the authentic thoughts and intentions of another person."
Four other scholars affiliated with the Rock Ethics Institute will present research at the workshop:
- Casey Helgeson, associate research professor in Penn State's Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and REI affiliate faculty, will present "Science and Values in Transdisciplinary Climate-Risk Research."
- Elizabeth Ransom, professor of international affairs and senior scientist in REI, will present "Rural Livelihoods, Technology, and Sustainability Transitions."
- Sarah Rajtmajer, associate professor in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology and senior research associate in REI, will present "Broken Mirrors: How LLMs Model Us and the Ecologies That Shape Them."
- C. Daryl Cameron, associate professor of psychology and senior research associate in REI, will participate virtually with a presentation titled "Choosing Empathy in the Age of AI."
The workshop also features scholars from other European institutions, addressing subjects ranging from the environmental costs of health care to the ethical dimensions of AI development and technological responses to environmental challenges.
For Ted Toadvine, Nancy Tuana Director of the Rock Ethics Institute and professor of philosophy at Penn State, the workshop represents an opportunity to strengthen REI's international scholarly connections.
"The most pressing ethical questions of our time do not stop at disciplinary or national boundaries," Toadvine said. "Collaborations like this create opportunities for scholars with different perspectives and areas of expertise to learn from one another, broaden the reach of their research and advance important conversations. We're especially pleased to be expanding the Rock Ethics Institute's international connections through this collaboration with FRIAS."
The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies supports interdisciplinary research and scholarly exchange at the University of Freiburg. Its Young Academy for Sustainability Research brings together researchers examining sustainability challenges from a range of disciplinary perspectives.
The Rock Ethics Institute was established in 2001 through the transformational support of Doug and Julie Rock. The institute promotes engaged ethics research and ethical leadership from its home in Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts.