Research
Many current technological developments, such as autonomous driving, AI-assisted medical diagnoses or robots designed to help educate children demonstrate the potential to serve a greater cause, but also raise societal and ethical concerns. By explicating normative implications of technologies, Ethics of Technology serves as a rational assessment for deciding how to design, regulate, adopt and cope with the (latest) technological advancements.
Main focus
Ethical evaluations need sound philosophical reflections of technologies. Philosophy of Technology analyses human-technology relations in concrete applications, uncovers forms of subjectification and objectification of typical socio-technical configurations, and exposes epistemological aspects that are intertwined with normative questions (e.g. explainable AI). Philosophy of Technology also explores different concepts of technology and the ongoing technisation of the modern world.
Networks and projects
Publications
2025
Rezension: Thomas Meyers neue Arendt Biographie. Sinnbild der Verstrickung von Theorie und Praxis
S. Thomas, HannahArendt.Net 14 (2025) 240–242.
Rezension: Hanna Meretoja: Die Nacht der alten Feuer
S. Thomas, HannahArendt.Net 14 (2025) 237–239.
2024
Warum und wozu erklärbare KI? Über die Verschiedenheit dreier paradigmatischer Zwecksetzungen
S. Alpsancar, in: R. Adolphi, S. Alpsancar, S. Hahn, M. Kettner (Eds.), Philosophische Digitalisierungsforschung Verantwortung, Verständigung, Vernunft, Macht, transcript, Bielefeld, 2024, pp. 55–113.
AI explainability, temporality, and civic virtue
W. Reijers, T. Matzner, S. Alpsancar, M. Philippi, in: Smart Ethics in the Digital World: Proceedings of the ETHICOMP 2024. 21th International Conference on the Ethical and Social Impacts of ICT. Universidad de La Rioja, 2024., Longrono, 2024.
Unpacking the purposes of explainable AI
S. Alpsancar, T. Matzner, M. Philippi, in: Smart Ethics in the Digital World: Proceedings of the ETHICOMP 2024. 21th International Conference on the Ethical and Social Impacts of ICT, Universidad de La Rioja, 2024, pp. 31–35.
Explanation needs and ethical demands: unpacking the instrumental value of XAI
S. Alpsancar, H.M. Buhl, T. Matzner, I. Scharlau, AI and Ethics (2024).
Der Sog des Neuen und der Schock des Alten Jahrbuch Technikphilosophie 2024
S. Alpsancar, ed., Der Sog des Neuen und der Schock des Alten Jahrbuch Technikphilosophie 2024 , Nomos, Baden Baden, 2024.
2023
Faktor Mensch. Jahrbuch Technikphilosophie 2023
S. Alpsancar, A. Friedrich, P. Gehring, C. Hubig, A. Kaminski, A. Nordmann, eds., Faktor Mensch. Jahrbuch Technikphilosophie 2023, Nomos, Baden Baden, 2023.
What is AI Ethics? Ethics as means of self-regulation and the need for critical reflection
S. Alpsancar, in: International Conference on Computer Ethics 2023, 2023, pp. 1--17.
Algorithmic Fairness in AI
J. Pfeiffer, J. Gutschow, C. Haas, F. Möslein, O. Maspfuhl, F. Borgers, S. Alpsancar, Business & Information Systems Engineering (2023).
Show all publications