Adam Berkowitz
PhD Candidate
The University of Alabama, School of Library & Information Studies
This report critiques current trends in AI ethics literature, noting a lack of engagement with frameworks in moral philosophy. Many texts address ethical concerns without referencing ethical frameworks, relying solely on an implicit utilitarian approach. This narrow lens leads to a paternalistic model of ethics that emphasizes responsibility and best practices while avoiding philosophical depth. Readers are often expected to enter these discussions already equipped with ethical knowledge, which limits accessibility and weakens discourse. Reducing ethics to practical guidance creates a false sense of moral agency, implying that users can impose their own values on technologies inherently shaped by developers’ priorities. This is especially problematic when applied to complex dilemmas characterized by competing moral imperatives. These situations are “wicked problems” requiring multidimensional analysis and cannot be resolved through a single ethical lens. To address these challenges, there must be broader use of moral frameworks. Only by applying multiple perspectives can sense be made of the complex and often contradictory demands of AI development, use, and regulation. Moving beyond purely pragmatic or utilitarian models is essential if we are to successfully guide users and developers.
