Virtual event to examine ethical leadership with AI and Big Data

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A global panel will consider how to define ethical leadership and the particular challenges posed by emerging technologies in a virtual event from 1-1:45 p.m. ET on Oct. 28.

“Defining Ethical Leadership” is free and open to the public. Those who wish to participate may register online.

The event is made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support Leading Ethically in the Age of AI and Big Data, an initiative designed to develop curricula to foster character and ethical values in future leaders, preparing them to respond appropriately to the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies, such as artificial intelligence and Big Data management.

“As we embark upon the work of our Lilly Endowment grant, a thoughtful conversation about how we define ethical leadership offers an appropriate starting point,” said David Reingold, the Justin S. Morrill Dean of Liberal Arts and professor of sociology at Purdue, principal investigator for the grant. “I am pleased to welcome this expert panel to help shape our conversations.”

The event will be moderated by Natasha Singer, a technology reporter with the New York Times who covers health technology, education technology and consumer privacy. The speakers are Dr. Philip Brey, professor of philosophy of technology at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, former president of the International Society for Ethics and Information Technology and former president of the Society for Philosophy and Technology; and Michael Lamb, assistant professor of politics, ethics and interdisciplinary humanities and executive director of the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, and a research fellow at the Oxford Character Project.

About the speakers

Brey is on the editorial board of 11 leading journals and book series in his field, including Ethics and Information Technology, Nanoethics, Philosophy and Technology, Techné, Studies in Ethics, Law and Technology, and Theoria. He has led a Dutch Research Council (NWO) Vici project for outstanding researchers (2006-12) on new media and the quality of life, which has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed publications, and a European Union FP7 project, SATORI (2014-17), involving 17 international partners, which aimed to develop international standards and best practices for the ethical assessment of research and innovation. He currently leads an EU Horizon 2020 project, SIENNA (2017-21), involving 13 international partners, on the ethical and human rights aspects of emerging technologies, including human genomics, human enhancement, robotics and artificial intelligence. Since January 2020, he has led a new seven-university research program, Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies, which will span 10 years.

Lamb’s research focuses on the ethics of citizenship and the role of virtues in public life. His current book project, “A Commonwealth of Hope: Reimagining Augustine’s Political Thought,” offers a novel interpretation of Augustine’s political thought and recovers his virtue of hope to inform contemporary politics. Lamb’s work has been published in a number of edited volumes and academic journals, including American Political Science Review, Review of Politics, Journal of Religious Ethics, Journal of Moral Education and Journal of Character Education. His broader interests include virtue ethics, leadership and character development, religion and politics, ethics and public policy, and politics and literature. He has taught interdisciplinary courses in ethics, religion and political theory at the University of Oxford, Princeton University, Rhodes College and Wake Forest. He was awarded the George Kateb Teaching Award for Best Preceptor from Princeton’s Department of Politics, a Teaching Excellence Award from Oxford’s Humanities Division and a Teaching Award from Wake Forest’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 5 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://purdue.edu/.

Writer: Aaron Rooks, wrooks@purdue.edu

Media contact: Amy Patterson Neubert, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Lori Sparger, sparger@purdue.edu

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