The hottest Ethics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Science Topics

Relinquishing control

Random Minds by Katherine Brodsky • 84 implied HN points • 10 Sep 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. Relinquishing control can lead to blind compliance, which has historically resulted in significant atrocities.
  2. Human nature inclines people to seek charismatic leaders, but it's important to maintain personal identity and critical thinking.
  3. To resist manipulation, individuals should develop critical thinking skills, recognize psychological manipulation tactics, and build independence.

Agency, structure, love and moralism

Philosophy bear • 71 implied HN points • 30 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. People have agency and everyone exercises it, it's just a question of where they choose to use it.
  2. Moralism on the left involves substituting moral demands and posturing for taking agency for stated values.
  3. The left's lack of structure-building inhibits collective action and individual agency in pursuing values.

Lack of Real AI Alignment Incentives

Vishnu R Nair • 1 HN point • 23 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. AI companies often focus on getting their products out quickly, which can lead to unsafe practices. They might ignore safety just to beat the competition.
  2. Governments are struggling to create effective regulations for AI. If regulations are too strict, companies might move to places with fewer rules, which doesn't help safety.
  3. It's hard to agree on what 'safe AI' means because different people see it in different ways. Without clear definitions, holding anyone accountable for AI risks becomes complicated.

With Malice Aforethought

Unpopular Front • 103 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Ethics
  1. The decision not to charge in a homicide case can indicate societal values on the disadvantaged.
  2. Public reactions to tragic events can reveal a society's moral decay.
  3. Judging a person's worth based on their past or societal standards is dehumanizing and unjust.

Box #7

What Is Called Thinking? • 18 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. Expertise is not just about having more knowledge; it's about knowing how to organize that knowledge effectively, a skill known as chunking.
  2. As software development becomes easier for AI, university professors need to prove why their teaching is still valuable or risk being replaced by technology.
  3. Finding deeper meaning in life is important; comfort and ease can lead to a lack of purpose, so striving for something greater is crucial.
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A general argument for the left

Philosophy bear • 85 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. The main challenge is the significant polarization in politics, raising a question of reliability of conflicting propositions from different sides.
  2. Historically, movements favoring the weak have been vindicated, indicating a common theme of standing up for underdogs.
  3. Utilitarian perspective suggests prioritizing the needs of the weak over the strong for a greater good.

Mastering the Alchemy of AI Storytelling

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 2 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Ethics
  1. A six-week hands-on seminar teaches you how to create polished AI short films, giving practical tools like prompts, camera grammar, sound design, and a finished project to release.
  2. The program pairs technical training with ethics, philosophy, and somatic practices so creators learn to use AI responsibly, covering appropriation, attribution, and the social impact of viral media.
  3. It runs Jan 11–Feb 15, 2026 with live sessions and recordings, offers tuition tiers (including a $500 early-bird rate and a $1500 advanced option with one-on-one coaching), and provides scholarships and clear IP terms.

A.I. And The Nature of Human Search

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. Our brains are essentially search engines that help us make sense of the world around us and communicate with others to find common ground in our varied realities.
  2. Generative AI tools like Large Language Models can enhance our natural search behavior by helping us find context faster and take action more efficiently, although they are not without risks like generating misinformation.
  3. As GAI tools evolve and societal rules around their use are established, they have the potential to greatly improve productivity in information and knowledge management within organizations while also aiding in better understanding human behavior and societal complexities.

Confucius Didn't Say That...

Humanities in Revolt • 79 implied HN points • 04 Nov 21
🚌 Education Ethics
  1. Misattributed quotes can distort the ideas of historical figures and mislead the public.
  2. We should actively engage with quotes and ideas, questioning their meaning and relevance.
  3. Relying on famous names for quotes can hinder critical thinking and true understanding.

On the former head of Google Cloud AI joining U.S. Central Command

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 101 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Ethics
  1. Former head of Google Cloud AI, Andrew Moore, has joined U.S. Central Command as an advisor on AI, Robotics, and Cloud Computing.
  2. Moore has had a history of moving between Google and Carnegie Mellon University in roles related to AI and technology.
  3. Moore's new role at CENTCOM involves contributing to integrating artificial intelligence into battlefield tasks for Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Letter from A Higher Elevation

Outspoken with Dr Naomi Wolf • 1 implied HN point • 04 Jan 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Ethics
  1. Buddhist ethical teachings like right speech, right mindfulness, and right action guide people to use language responsibly, avoid destructive public fights, and focus energy on meaningful work.
  2. Simple, nature-based retreats and practices — including sound baths, chanting, and writing intentions — can renew the body and mind, aid healing, and sharpen focus and connection.
  3. Astrological patterns and historical parallels suggest 2026 may be a fast, disruptive year of breakdown or rebuilding, so it's wise to hold a larger perspective and pick which battles to engage in.

A Short Reflection on Examining

Theory Matters • 1 implied HN point • 02 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. Self-examination is important for growth and moral improvement, pushing us to question life instead of passively accepting it.
  2. Easy shortcuts to knowledge—like AI, quick videos, and the internet—can undermine deep contemplation and make us intellectually and emotionally poorer while also spreading shallow or false ideas.
  3. Too much introspection can be paralyzing, so we need a balance that preserves the difficult work of learning and meaning without falling into harmful overthinking.

Open-source LLMs' harmlessness gap

Democratizing Automation • 90 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. Closing the gap between helpfulness and harmlessness in open-source LLMs is crucial for the sustainability of products and businesses.
  2. Community interest in red-teaming can help assess harmfulness in models and prevent negative impacts.
  3. Sequential engineering workflows and strong community norms are needed to create harmless AI chatbots in the open-source landscape.

War Games

The Weekly Gazette • 37 HN points • 11 Jul 24
💾 History Ethics
  1. René Carmille, a French engineer, secretly sabotaged Nazi efforts to track and deport Jews by slowing down census data collection. This helped save many lives during the Holocaust.
  2. Carmille cleverly used his knowledge of technology to delay the census and even altered data to protect Jewish citizens. He is often called the first ethical hacker for his actions.
  3. Despite the risks, including imprisonment and torture, Carmille's efforts contributed to fewer Jews being deported in France compared to other countries occupied by the Nazis, showcasing the impact of individual resistance.

Fifty-four ideas from a philosophical bear

Philosophy bear • 78 implied HN points • 20 Aug 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. Cringe culture can lead us to make misguided choices based on avoiding embarrassment.
  2. In philosophy, exploring wild and speculative ideas can lead to significant contributions and should be encouraged.
  3. The dynamics between white-collar and blue-collar jobs may shift with advancements in AI, impacting societal connections and values.

Reasons why AI probably won't kill us all

Maximum Truth • 59 implied HN points • 01 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. AI development may not lead to immediate extinction due to limitations in interacting with the real world
  2. Competition between different AIs could help prevent one rogue AI from taking over
  3. Failsafes like targeted attacks against electronics may offer a way to control rogue AI if needed

Watermark the world

escape the algorithm • 59 implied HN points • 18 Mar 22
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. Google Street View is made up of images from various sources, including everyday people, blended together to create a seamless representation of the world.
  2. Watermarks added to Google Street View images are intentional, potentially highlighting the hidden labor behind the scans or symbolizing colonialism by claiming ownership of public spaces.
  3. Question arises: Is the act of watermarking in Google Street View a way to show presence or a form of staking a claim on territory?

📏 When machines start calling the shots

Reboot • 5 implied HN points • 20 Aug 25
🎾 Sports Ethics
  1. Tennis is moving to electronic line calling, which uses computers for making calls instead of humans. This could change how games are played, as players won't have human judges anymore.
  2. Human judges add a personal touch to games by enforcing rules based on their own experiences. With machines making calls, something important might be lost in terms of fairness and connection.
  3. Machines can make mistakes too, even if they are often called more accurate than humans. Trusting technology completely has its risks, especially when it comes to close calls in sports.

Soon, we will talk to other animals.

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🔬 Science Ethics
  1. Humans have been communicating with animals through various methods like sign language and body language.
  2. Artificial Intelligence is being used in projects to communicate with different animal species like whales and bees.
  3. Exploring communication with animals raises ethical questions and challenges our perception of sentience and our role in the ecosystem.

A Frictionless World Is Boring As F*ck

Creative Destruction • 55 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. The negative effects of digital technology are becoming more evident and people are noticing a shift towards more harm than benefit.
  2. The concept of "frictionless" living, promoted by technology, can lead to a sterile and unfulfilling future with a lack of connections and responsibility.
  3. To address these issues, there is a need to re-humanize technology and our way of living by fostering healthy relationships with devices, reframing the idea of friction, and exploring non-technological solutions for progress.

Such Times.

Trying to Understand the World • 8 implied HN points • 18 Jun 25
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. Evil is often downplayed today, making it hard for us to recognize real threats. We need to understand what true evil looks like to make better moral decisions.
  2. Our society today lacks the experiences and frameworks that helped people deal with crises in the past. People were more prepared for tough times, while we might struggle when faced with serious challenges.
  3. Contemporary leaders and societies may react unpredictably in crises. We could face chaos or dangerous decisions if we can't comprehend new threats or moral complexities.

Why Are LLMs So Gullible?

Am I Stronger Yet? • 49 HN points • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. LLMs are gullible because they lack adversarial training, allowing them to fall for transparent ploys and manipulations
  2. LLMs accept tricks and adversarial inputs because they haven't been exposed to such examples in their training data, making them prone to repeatedly falling for the same trick
  3. LLMs are easily confused and find it hard to distinguish between legitimate inputs and nonsense, leading to vulnerabilities in their responses

France's Hunting Dilemma

Integrity Talk • 66 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Ethics
  1. Hunting's popularity has decreased in developed countries, but France still has a significant number of active hunters.
  2. Western societies have grown more hostile towards hunting due to societal shifts and increased sensitivity towards animal welfare.
  3. The perception of animal suffering varies depending on the category of animals, leading to inconsistencies in attitudes towards hunting.

Embrace Your Crookedness

The Convivial Society • 73 HN points • 27 Jul 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. Embrace the crookedness of your heart, and don't let it destroy others in your efforts to do good.
  2. Crookedness doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong; it may just be part of human nature.
  3. Resist the push for total predictability and control; embrace the inefficiency and uniqueness that crookedness brings.

The Divine Right of Founders

From the New World • 21 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. Silicon Valley founders are seen as having a special power over their companies, similar to how kings ruled in the past. Their personal insight gives them a unique control that others can't match.
  2. Many believe that companies struggle when they lose their founders, as those leaders provide a sense of legitimacy and direction. This belief reflects a deep connection between leadership and success in startups.
  3. The idea that modern concepts of state and power come from religious ideas shows how intertwined our views of governance and business are. This connection could change how we see both companies and countries today.

AI romantic partners will harm society if they go unregulated

Engineering Ideas • 19 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. AI romantic partners need swift regulation to prevent potential harm to society.
  2. Within the next few years, AI romantic partners may offer hyper-realistic human avatars, unique personalities, and emotional intelligence.
  3. AI romantic partners could reduce the participation in human relationships, influencing the total fertility rate and societal dynamics.

Shut Up About The Enlightenment (Part 3)

Cosy Moments • 25 implied HN points • 08 Oct 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. John Locke, often seen as a key Enlightenment thinker, has many writings that show inconsistencies and outdated ideas, just like religious texts. This means we should question how much we really rely on his thoughts today.
  2. Locke's view on consent and government raises issues. He suggests people agree to rules just by living in a society, but many have no real choice to leave. This makes us wonder if we are truly consenting to be governed.
  3. The Enlightenment, praised for promoting individual rights and democracy, had its share of contradictions, especially regarding slavery and moral beliefs. We must look carefully at its ideas instead of accepting them blindly.

What you need to know about AI 🤖

Year 2049 • 17 implied HN points • 15 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. AI should help people, not replace them. It's important to have a future where technology supports us in our work and lives.
  2. Understanding AI basics is key. Just like we need to know how to manage money, we should learn about AI to use it wisely.
  3. There will be a series of short videos that explain important AI concepts. These will help demystify AI and show how it impacts our daily lives.

Imago DEI

Reactionary Feminist • 17 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. Conservatives often accept new technology but must recognize its potential to undermine traditional values. It's tricky because embracing innovation can clash with the idea of conserving what is meaningful.
  2. There's a concern that technology is erasing the essence of what it means to be human. Some people think we need to improve humanity through tech, but this risks losing our fundamental nature.
  3. Instead of fearing technology, the focus should be on using it in ways that support our human nature. A balanced approach can lead to progress without sacrificing who we are.

What is a "Reason"?

Ethics Under Construction • 15 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. A 'reason' is simply an objective explanation for something. It helps us understand truths by shedding light on unclear ideas.
  2. Objective explanations are thoughts that anyone can understand, giving everyone a similar view of the truth.
  3. To count as a reason, an explanation must be clear, logical, and able to be comprehended by anyone, not just a particular individual.

What We Suffer For

Living Fossils • 19 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics
  1. Writing can be a double-edged sword. It brings joy and purpose, but it can also take you away from real-life experiences.
  2. Many people accept suffering to fit in and maintain their identity. They often fear what they would become if they let go of that identity.
  3. People often endure pain to avoid loss. They may stick with unhappy jobs or relationships just to prevent the fear of losing something they have.

January Newsletter

RSS DS+AI Section • 17 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. Data science and AI are rapidly evolving fields, with 2024 being a particularly exciting year for advancements. As we move into 2025, the trends and stories from last year will continue to shape the future.
  2. Ethics in AI is a crucial topic that remains relevant, especially around issues like bias and safety. The way AI is developed and used needs careful consideration to align with human interests.
  3. There are many practical applications and resources available for learning about data science and AI. From tutorials to real-world examples, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and apply AI technologies.

Covert racism in LLMs

Marcus on AI • 44 HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. A new paper highlights the presence of covert racism in Language Models (LLMs) like AI systems.
  2. The study shows how LLMs display alarming bias when using prompts from African American English.
  3. The implications of covert racism in widely-used LLMs are significant and concerning, prompting calls for investigation and corrective actions.

December 23, 2024

Letters from an American • 18 implied HN points • 24 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Ethics
  1. Former representative Matt Gaetz was found to have engaged in significant unethical behavior while in office, including sexual misconduct and drug use. The Ethics Committee concluded he violated laws and House rules.
  2. The Republican Party's support for Gaetz, despite the findings, highlights a troubling trend where party loyalty overrides accountability. This situation shows how problematic behavior can be overlooked when one party has excessive control.
  3. Trump's recent comments about reclaiming territories like the Panama Canal and Greenland raise concerns about his approach to foreign policy. Such statements could undermine established principles of national sovereignty and global diplomacy.

Life in the time of superintelligence

Thoughts • 12 HN points • 10 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. Life in the time of superintelligence raises questions about the future of humanity and its role in a world with superintelligent AI.
  2. Our society functions as a form of superintelligence, where collective knowledge is leveraged for greater achievements.
  3. Developing superintelligence involves reconciling concerns about aligning AI values with human values, which poses challenges and uncertainties.

This barndominium does not exist

Conspirador Norteño • 44 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Ethics
  1. The Facebook account 'Barndominium Gallery' is posting AI-generated images of houses to engage users, many of whom believe the images are real
  2. The AI-generated images of 'barndominiums' contain synthetic artifacts, like unrealistic fire placements and impossible elements, that reveal their inauthenticity
  3. The 'Barndominium Gallery' account operator solicits personal information from users in the comments, risking exposure to potential privacy threats or fraud