Jefferson Seide Molléri, Sami Hyrynsalmi, Antti Hakkala
et al.
This paper presents a longitudinal ethical analysis of Untappd, a social drinking application that gamifies beer consumption through badges, streaks, and social sharing. Building on an exploratory study conducted in 2020, we revisit the platform in 2025 to examine how its gamification features and ethical framings have evolved. Drawing on traditional ethical theory and practical frameworks for Software Engineering, we analyze five categories of badges and their implications for user autonomy and well-being. Our findings show that, despite small adjustments and superficial disclaimers, many of the original ethical issues remain. We argue for continuous ethical reflection built embedded into software lifecycles to prevent the normalization of risky behaviors through design.
Shaily Roy, Harshit Sharma, Daniel A. Adler
et al.
Computational models are increasingly embedded in human-centered domains such as healthcare, education, workplace analytics, and digital well-being, where their predictions directly influence individual outcomes and collective welfare. In such contexts, achieving high accuracy alone is insufficient; models must also act ethically and equitably across diverse populations. However, fair AI approaches that rely on demographic attributes are impractical, as such information is often unavailable, privacy-sensitive, or restricted by regulatory frameworks. Moreover, conventional parity-based fairness approaches, while aiming for equity, can inadvertently violate core ethical principles by trading off subgroup performance or stability. To address this challenge, we present Flare (Fisher-guided LAtent-subgroup learning with do-no-harm REgularization), the first demographic-agnostic framework that aligns algorithmic fairness with ethical principles through the geometry of optimization. Flare leverages Fisher Information to regularize curvature, uncovering latent disparities in model behavior without access to demographic or sensitive attributes. By integrating representation, loss, and curvature signals, it identifies hidden performance strata and adaptively refines them through collaborative but do-no-harm optimization, enhancing each subgroup's performance while preserving global stability and ethical balance. We also introduce BHE (Beneficence-Harm Avoidance-Equity), a novel metric suite that operationalizes ethical fairness evaluation beyond statistical parity. Extensive evaluations across diverse physiological (EDA), behavioral (IHS), and clinical (OhioT1DM) datasets show that Flare consistently enhances ethical fairness compared to state-of-the-art baselines.
Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Omer Ajmal, Waleed Ahmed Butt
et al.
Objective: The study aimed to explore the lived experiences of ICU physicians in Pakistan regarding
professionalism and medical ethics in end-of-life decision-making, with particular focus on emotional burden,
ethical dilemmas, religious and cultural influences, family involvement, and institutional challenges.
Study Design: A qualitative phenomenological study using a hermeneutic approach.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Sahiwal Teaching
Hospital, Sahiwal, Pakistan, from November 2024 to April 2025.
Methods: Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted over a period of six months in the Medical
Intensive Care Unit at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital with eight physicians and postgraduate trainees. They were
selected using a purposive sampling technique, and were directly involved in decision-making regarding endof-
life care. Data was analyzed through thematic analysis. Credibility and dependability were ensured through
participant validation and expert peer review.
Results: Six key themes emerged from the analysis using thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke's
framework and supported by NVivo 12 Pro software: Emotional burden of decision-making, Religious and
cultural influences, Family-centered pressure and misunderstanding, Systemic and institutional gaps, Personal
beliefs, professional ethics, and reflection, and External interference and hierarchical pressure. Physicians
described moral distress, emotional exhaustion, and fear of legal repercussions in the absence of clear
institutional protocols or legal protection. Family expectations and cultural norms frequently conflicted with
medical judgment, intensifying ethical challenges.
Conclusion: End-of-life decision-making among Pakistani intensive care physicians is influenced by emotional,
cultural, ethical, and institutional pressures. The findings suggest a need for improved institutional guidance,
ethics training, and structured communication with families to support ethical practice, reduce physician
distress, and promote more consistent end-of-life care.
How to cite this: Waseem M, Ajmal MO, Butt WA, Mir A, UZ Mir, Qaiser A. Professionalism and Medical Ethics in End-of-Life Decision-Making: A Phenomenological Study of ICU Physicians at Public Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal, Pakistan. Life and Science. 2026; 7(1): 17-24. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.1042
ABSTRACT Francisco Suárez is typically understood as having believed that all humans are capable of self‐rule by virtue of their human nature. I argue that that standard interpretation is mistaken. Unlike most of his predecessors, Suárez understood natural slavery as the absence of a right, not the absence of a capacity. He denied that there are any natural slaves in this revised sense. Suárez's understanding of liberty as a right explains many of his other commitments concerning slavery. He broke radically from the Aristotelian tradition, not in denying that some people are incapable of self‐rule but in denying that this incapacity could legitimate enslaving such people.
As artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics increasingly permeate society, ensuring the ethical behavior of these systems has become paramount. This paper contends that transparency in AI decision-making processes is fundamental to developing trustworthy and ethically aligned robotic systems. We explore how transparency facilitates accountability, enables informed consent, and supports the debugging of ethical algorithms. The paper outlines technical, ethical, and practical challenges in implementing transparency and proposes novel approaches to enhance it, including standardized metrics, explainable AI techniques, and user-friendly interfaces. This paper introduces a framework that connects technical implementation with ethical considerations in robotic systems, focusing on the specific challenges of achieving transparency in dynamic, real-world contexts. We analyze how prioritizing transparency can impact public trust, regulatory policies, and avenues for future research. By positioning transparency as a fundamental element in ethical AI system design, we aim to add to the ongoing discussion on responsible AI and robotics, providing direction for future advancements in this vital field.
Victoria Chang, Caro Williams-Pierce, Huaishu Peng
et al.
Social VR introduces new ethical challenges for observational research. The current paper presents a narrative literature review of ethical considerations in observational methods, with a focus on work in HCI. We examine how unobtrusive or selectively disclosed observation is implemented in public face-to-face and social VR settings. Our review extends ethical discussions from traditional public research into the context of social VR, highlighting tensions between observer visibility, data traceability, and participant autonomy. Drawing on insights distilled from prior literature, we propose five constructive guidelines for ethical observational research in public social VR environments. Our work offers key implications for future research, addressing anticipated improvements in platform design, the management of researcher presence, and the development of community-informed consent mechanisms.
Online community research routinely poses minimal risk to individuals, but does the same hold true for online communities? In response to high-profile breaches of online community trust and increased debate in the social computing research community on the ethics of online community research, this paper investigates community-level harms and benefits of research. Through 9 participatory-inspired workshops with four critical online communities (Wikipedia, InTheRooms, CaringBridge, and r/AskHistorians) we found researchers should engage more directly with communities' primary purpose by rationalizing their methods and contributions in the context of community goals to equalize the beneficiaries of community research. To facilitate deeper alignment of these expectations, we present the FACTORS (Functions for Action with Communities: Teaching, Overseeing, Reciprocating, and Sustaining) framework for ethical online community research. Finally, we reflect on our findings by providing implications for researchers and online communities to identify and implement functions for navigating community-level harms and benefits.
Steffen Backmann, David Guzman Piedrahita, Emanuel Tewolde
et al.
Recent advances in large language models (LLMs) have enabled their use in complex agentic roles, involving decision-making with humans or other agents, making ethical alignment a key AI safety concern. While prior work has examined both LLMs' moral judgment and strategic behavior in social dilemmas, there is limited understanding of how they act when moral imperatives directly conflict with rewards or incentives. To investigate this, we introduce Moral Behavior in Social Dilemma Simulation (MoralSim) and evaluate how LLMs behave in the prisoner's dilemma and public goods game with morally charged contexts. In MoralSim, we test a range of frontier models across both game structures and three distinct moral framings, enabling a systematic examination of how LLMs navigate social dilemmas in which ethical norms conflict with payoff-maximizing strategies. Our results show substantial variation across models in both their general tendency to act morally and the consistency of their behavior across game types, the specific moral framing, and situational factors such as opponent behavior and survival risks. Crucially, no model exhibits consistently moral behavior in MoralSim, highlighting the need for caution when deploying LLMs in agentic roles where the agent's "self-interest" may conflict with ethical expectations. Our code is available at https://github.com/sbackmann/moralsim.
This paper examines the responsible integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in human services organizations (HSOs), proposing a nuanced framework for evaluating AI applications across multiple dimensions of risk. The authors argue that ethical concerns about AI deployment -- including professional judgment displacement, environmental impact, model bias, and data laborer exploitation -- vary significantly based on implementation context and specific use cases. They challenge the binary view of AI adoption, demonstrating how different applications present varying levels of risk that can often be effectively managed through careful implementation strategies. The paper highlights promising solutions, such as local large language models, that can facilitate responsible AI integration while addressing common ethical concerns. The authors propose a dimensional risk assessment approach that considers factors like data sensitivity, professional oversight requirements, and potential impact on client wellbeing. They conclude by outlining a path forward that emphasizes empirical evaluation, starting with lower-risk applications and building evidence-based understanding through careful experimentation. This approach enables organizations to maintain high ethical standards while thoughtfully exploring how AI might enhance their capacity to serve clients and communities effectively.
Digital socialization, is a process by which individuals, particularly adolescents, acquire skills, norms, and behaviors through digital interactions, has become increasingly significant in the context of modern social dynamics. The scale in the current study was developed through a rigorous methodological process, including item pool generation, expert reviews, and both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The final scale consisted of 32 items distributed across seven factors: Social Influence and Peer Pressure, Media Literacy and Critical Thinking, Digital Citizenship and Ethics, Emotional Regulation and Empathy, Global Connectivity and Cultural Exchange, and Religious and Spiritual Exploration. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of .77 and high construct validity, as evidenced by significant factor loadings and fit indices. The Digital Socialization Scale offers valuable insights for researchers, educators, and clinicians to assess and promote healthy digital interactions among adolescents. Future research should focus on cross-cultural validation and periodic updates to align with evolving digital trends.
Terra Schwerin Rowe, Christiana Zenner, Lisa H. Sideris
This essay serves as an expansive, conceptual anchor and scholarly argument that demonstrates the modality of “reflexive extractivist” religious studies and also orients the Special Issue on Religion in Extractive Zones. We demonstrate that critical religious and theological scholarship have existing tools and methods for deepening the study of extraction in the environmental humanities and related discourses. We make two interconnected arguments: that religion has been and continues to be produced out of extractive zones in the conflicts, negotiations, and strategic alliances of contact zones and that the complex production of sacred and secular in these zones can be fruitfully analyzed as imaginaries and counter-imaginaries of extraction. We present these arguments through a dialogical and critically integrative methodology, in which arguments from theorists across several disciplines are put into conversation and from which our insights emerge. This methodology leads to a final section of the essay that sets a framework for, and invites further dialogical and integrative scholarship on, the practical ethics of non- or counter-extractive academic research, scholarship, and publishing. Offering theoretical, methodological, and practical suggestions, we call for a turn toward reflexive extractivist religious studies, articulate the specific conceptual and methodological approaches linking religion and extraction, and thus set the framework and tone for the Special Issue.
Objective: This study explores the implementation of entrepreneurial models in three pesantren: Islamic Boarding School ‘A’ in Ngawi, Islamic Boarding School ‘B’ in Sukoharjo, and Islamic Boarding School ‘C’ in Surakarta. Each pesantren employs distinct approaches—namely, the in-house business model, the ‘maklon’ (outsourced production) partnership model, and the contract-based partnership model. Pesantren, as traditional Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia, have long served as centers for character-building and moral education. With the advent of global economic challenges, these institutions are tasked with bridging religious teachings and modern economic competencies, particularly through entrepreneurship education. Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework of this research integrates Islamic educational philosophy and sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth). Literature Review: A literature review reveals that entrepreneurial education contributes significantly to students' readiness for real-world challenges, fostering economic self-reliance while maintaining ethical integrity. Methods: Using a qualitative approach, this study combines case study analysis, interviews, and field observations. Results: The findings indicate that the ‘maklon’ partnership model has the most significant impact, increasing pesantren revenue and equipping Santri with practical skills in business management, marketing, and finance. Additionally, all three models emphasize ethical entrepreneurship rooted in Islamic principles, contributing to SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production). Implications: The implications of this study are profound, suggesting that pesantren can serve as hubs for sustainable economic education that aligns with religious values. By adopting entrepreneurial models, these institutions not only enhance the economic resilience of their students but also contribute to broader societal development. Novelty: The novelty of this study lies in its exploration of how pesantren-based entrepreneurship education can simultaneously advance religious and economic goals while addressing SDGs. It provides a replicable framework for integrating ethics and entrepreneurship in similar educational contexts.
Amid ongoing debates on animal ethics, this study investigates whether the culturally and spiritually grounded values of Bengali traditions provide a more accessible and effective framework than modern abstract ethical theories such as Peter Singer’s utilitarianism and Tom Regan’s animal rights theory, particularly in the context of Bangladesh. While Western ethical theories provide intellectual scholarship and universal principles, their reliance on rational abstraction often renders them detached from the lived realities of culturally embedded societies. Conversely, some Bengali traditions, particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism, grounded in ahimsa (non-violence) and relational ethics, offer a pragmatic, emotionally resonant, and culturally integrated ethical paradigm that is more intuitive and applicable in daily life. To substantiate this hypothesis, a 40-day empirical study involving 17 participants was conducted. In Phase 1, participants were introduced to Western ethical theories and instructed to apply these principles in real-life contexts. In Phase 2, they engaged with the Bengali cultural and spiritual frameworks of Hinduism and Buddhism, including the ahimsa doctrine and other religious teachings emphasizing compassion toward animals. The findings revealed that nearly 80% of participants found cultural and spiritual frameworks to be more comprehensible and practically applicable than the abstract reasoning of Western theories. Furthermore, participants reported natural behavioral shifts toward avoiding harm to animals, attributing this change to a deeper emotional and moral connection made by spiritual teachings. Three core propositions emerge from the analysis. First, ahimsa functions as a pragmatic ethical middle ground, bridging the flexibility of utilitarianism with the moral absolutism of animal rights theory. Second, relational ethics in Bengali Hindu and Buddhist philosophy decenters anthropocentrism, proposing a worldview that emphasizes the interdependence of humans, animals, and the environment. Third, spirituality in Hinduism and Buddhism offers an intrinsically motivating, culturally embedded ethical framework that proves more sustainable and emotionally accessible than abstract philosophical reasoning.
This paper argues that Bengali cultural and spiritual teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism present a more effective, enduring, and culturally congruent model for promoting animal ethics in Bangladesh, where moral frameworks such as ahimsa (non-violence) and relational ethics are genuinely intertwined with spiritual and cultural narratives.
ABSTRACTThis essay offers both a review of recent texts in disability studies and religious ethics as well as appreciation in the guild's growing interest in disability ethics. When the Journal of Religious Ethics (JRE) solicited this essay, I felt a sense that recognition of the important work that disability ethics offers to our guild had arrived. Reviewing works by Julia Watts Belser, William C. Gaventa, Lisa D. Powell, Devan Stahl, and Erin Raffety, this essay begins with a disability primer and then moves to the texts under review. These texts present the ongoing challenges surrounding disability justice and the hopes and joys that characterize the human spirit in making a way out of no way.
Wearable devices that measure and record physiological signals are now becoming widely available to the general public with ever-increasing affordability and signal quality. The data from these devices introduce serious ethical challenges that remain largely unaddressed. Users do not always understand how these data can be leveraged to reveal private information about them and developers of these devices may not fully grasp how physiological data collected today could be used in the future for completely different purposes. We discuss the potential for wearable devices, initially designed to help users improve their well-being or enhance the experience of some digital application, to be appropriated in ways that extend far beyond their original intended purpose. We identify how the currently available technology can be misused, discuss how pairing physiological data with non-physiological data can radically expand the predictive capacity of physiological wearables, and explore the implications of these expanded capacities for a variety of stakeholders.
Spatial analysis can generate both exogenous and endogenous biases, which will lead to ethics issues. Exogenous biases arise from external factors or environments and are unrelated to internal operating mechanisms, while endogenous biases stem from internal processes or technologies. Although much attention has been given to exogenous biases, endogenous biases in spatial analysis have been largely overlooked, and a comprehensive methodology for addressing them is yet to be developed. To tackle this challenge, we propose that visual analytics can play a key role in understanding geographic data and improving the interpretation of analytical results. In this study, we conducted a preliminary investigation using various visualization techniques to explore endogenous biases. Our findings demonstrate the potentials of visual analytics to uncover hidden biases and identify associated issues. Additionally, we synthesized these visualization strategies into a framework that approximates a method for detecting endogenous biases. Through this work, we advocate for the integration of visualization at three critical stages of spatial analysis in order to minimize errors, address ethical concerns, and reduce misinterpretations associated with endogenous biases.
Thierry Petit, Arnault Pachot, Claire Conan-Vrinat
et al.
This article introduces an innovative architecture designed to declaratively combine Large Language Models (LLMs) with shared histories, and triggers to identify the most appropriate LLM for a given task. Our approach is general and declarative, relying on the construction of finite automata coupled with an event management system. The developed tool is crafted to facilitate the efficient and complex integration of LLMs with minimal programming effort, especially, but not only, for integrating methods of positive psychology to AI. The flexibility of our technique is demonstrated through applied examples in automation, communication, and ethics.
Joschka Haltaufderheide, Stefanie Pfisterer-Heise, Dawid Pieper
et al.
Background: Robot-assisted surgery has been widely adopted in recent years. However, compared to other health technologies operating in close proximity to patients in a vulnerable state, ethical issues of robot-assisted surgery have received less attention. Against the background of increasing automation that are expected to raise new ethical issues, this systematic review aims to map the state of the ethical debate in this field. Methods: A protocol was registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO CRD42023397951). Medline via PubMed, EMBASE, CINHAL, Philosophers' Index, IEEE Xplorer, Web of Science (Core Collection), Scopus and Google Scholar were searched in January 2023. Screening, extraction, and analysis were conducted independently by two authors. A qualitative narrative synthesis was performed. Results: Out of 1,723 records, 66 records were included in the final dataset. Seven major strands of the ethical debate emerged during analysis. These include questions of harms and benefits, responsibility and control, professional-patient relationship, ethical issues in surgical training and learning, justice, translational questions, and economic considerations. Discussion: The identified themes testify to a broad range of different and differing ethical issues requiring careful deliberation and integration into the surgical ethos. Looking forward, we argue that a different perspective in addressing robotic surgical devices might be helpful to consider upcoming challenges of automation.
This study explores and analyzes the educational discourse embedded within the admonitions of Luqman the Wise, a historical figure renowned for his wisdom and profound contemplations. The research delves deeply into the examination of values and ethics manifested in these admonitions, exploring how they can serve as a significant source of inspiration and guidance for personal development and societal advancement. The study addresses the cultural and religious context in which Luqman's admonitions originated, shedding light on how the educational discourse is reflected in the teachings of Islam. Methodologically, the study employs a meticulous approach to Quranic texts related to Luqman's admonitions, drawing support from relevant prophetic traditions (hadith). The research undertakes an in-depth analysis of the Quranic context that distinguishes Luqman's admonitions, with a specific focus on their impact in delineating values and educational guidelines associated with Islam. Additionally, the research draws upon specific Quranic references to support a profound analysis of the educational values within Luqman's admonitions. For instance, the Quran 31:13-19, alludes to the wisdom of Luqman the Wise and his sagacious guidance to his son, underscoring the significance of the Islamic understanding of these admonitions. Therefore, these admonitions worth to be recommended for an individual in our current society.
Some important moral teachings that are widely mentioned in the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, are not specified by their names in the Holy Qur'an, and apparently, they are not found in the teachings and rulings of the Holy Qur'an. On the one hand, their importance requires that they be mentioned in the Holy Quran (as Taqqal Akbar) and on the other hand, their widespread reflection in the traditions shows the presence of these teachings in the Holy Quran. because the narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) are taken from the Holy Quran.This article is responsible for stating a criterion for obtaining examples of such moral concepts in the Qur'an, and for example, it is in pursuit of criteria to obtain examples of the social principle of "tolerance" and has reached the following results: 1. Although in the Qur'an The word "tolerance" is not mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, examples of tolerance are mentioned in the Holy Quran (at least twenty examples). 2. To identify Quranic examples of tolerance, there are criteria that can be used to identify the mentioned examples. 3. It is possible to identify examples of tolerance with the help of the "semantic gem of tolerance" and "interpretive narratives". 4. It is not possible to get access to examples of tolerance through the clarification of the commentators and translators of the Qur'an, and they can only be used to the extent of "confirmation". The research method in this article is descriptive-revealing, its information processing (data processing) is explanatory and analytical, and its information gathering method is library.