Jason Borenstein
Principal Acad Professional
- School of Public Policy
Overview
Jason Borenstein, Ph.D., is the Director of Graduate Research Ethics Programs and Associate Director of the Center for Ethics and Technology. His appointment is divided between the School of Public Policy and the Office of Graduate Studies. He is also Affiliated Faculty at the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM).
Dr. Borenstein is an associate editor of the journal Science and Engineering Ethics, co-editor of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s Ethics and Information Technology section, and an editorial board member of the journal Accountability in Research. He is also Editor for Research Ethics for the National Academy of Engineering's Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science. He was the Founder and formerly Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Philosophy, Science & Law.
Dr. Borenstein’s research interests include bioethics, engineering ethics, robot ethics, and research ethics. He is currently a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on a five-year project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) entitled "Institutional Transformation: The Role of Service Learning and Community Engagement on the Ethical Development of STEM Students and Campus Culture". He is a Co-PI on the NSF-funded “Fairness, Ethics, Accountability, and Transparency (FEAT) in Computer and Information Science and Engineering Workshop” that took place August 29 and 30, 2019 on Georgia Tech's campus. He is also a Co-PI on the NSF-funded project “Do the Right Thing: Competing Ethical Frameworks Mediated by Moral Emotions in Human-robot Interaction" and on the NSF-funded project "EAGER: Pilot Study on Bias and Trust in AI Systems". In addition, he is a Co-PI on the Mozilla Responsible Computer Science Challenge funded project “Cultivating an Ethics-Inclusive Mindset Through Role Play in Undergraduate Computer Science Courses”.
His work has appeared in numerous professional journals including AI & Society, Communications of the ACM, Science and Engineering Ethics, the Journal of Academic Ethics, Ethics and Information Technology, IEEE Technology & Society, Accountability in Research, and the Columbia Science and Technology Law Review.
- M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Miami
- B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Philosophy, Emory University
Interests
- Ethics and Philosophy of Science and Technology
- Assessment
- Bioethics, Bioscience, Biotechnology
- Community engagement
- Emerging Technologies - Innovation
- Human/Machine Interaction
- Philosophy
- Problem-Based Learning
- Science and Technology
Courses
- PHIL-3105: Ethical Theories
- PHIL-3109: Engineering Ethics
- PHIL-6000: Responsible Conduct-Res
- PHIL-6010: Biotech Research Ethics
- PHIL-6710: Ethics Biotech Research
- PST-3105: Ethical Theories
- PST-3109: Ethics&Tech Profession
- PST-3127: Sci,Tech & Human Values
- PST-8000: Responsible Condut-Res
- PUBP-8801: Special Topics
- PUBP-8811: Special Topics
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
- The Ugly Truth About Ourselves and Our Robot Creations: The Problem of Bias and Social Inequity
In: Science and Engineering Ethics [Peer Reviewed]October 2018
- Overtrust in the Robotic Age
In: Communications of the ACMSeptember 2018
- Overtrust of Pediatric Healthcare Robots: A Preliminary Survey of Parent Perspectives
In: IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine: Special Issue on Socio-ethical Approaches to Robotics Development [Peer Reviewed]February 2018
- Self-Driving Cars and Engineering Ethics: The Need for a System Level Analysis
In: Science and Engineering Ethics [Peer Reviewed]November 2017
- Self-Driving Cars: Ethical Responsibilities of Design Engineers
In: IEEE Technology and Society Magazine [Peer Reviewed]2017
- Nudging for Good: Robots and the Ethical Appropriateness of Nurturing Empathy and Charitable Behavior
In: AI & Society [Peer Reviewed]November 2016
- Robotic Nudges: The Ethics of Engineering a More Socially Just Human Being
In: Science and Engineering Ethics [Peer Reviewed]February 2016
- Creating "Companions" for Children: The Ethics of Designing Aesthetic Features for Robots
In: AI and Society [Peer Reviewed]February 2014
Taking the term "companion" in a broad sense to include robot caregivers, playmates, assistive devices, and toys, we examine ethical issues that emerge from designing companion robots for children. We focus on the relative importance and potential ethical implications of creating robots with certain types of esthetic features. We include an examination of whether robots ought to be made to appear or act humanlike, and whether robots should be gendered. In our estimation, this line of ethical inquiry may even provide insight into the nature and appropriateness of existing institutions and widely accepted interactions among human beings. © 2012 Springer-Verlag London Limited.
Recent Publications
Journal Articles
- How Should Clinicians Communicate With Patients About the Roles of Artificially Intelligent Team Members?
In: AMA Journal of EthicsFebruary 2019
- The Ugly Truth About Ourselves and Our Robot Creations: The Problem of Bias and Social Inequity
In: Science and Engineering Ethics [Peer Reviewed]October 2018
- Overtrust in the Robotic Age
In: Communications of the ACMSeptember 2018
- Hacking the Human Bias in Robotics
In: ACM Transactions on Human-Robot InteractionMay 2018
- Overtrust of Pediatric Healthcare Robots: A Preliminary Survey of Parent Perspectives
In: IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine: Special Issue on Socio-ethical Approaches to Robotics Development [Peer Reviewed]February 2018
Chapters
- Robots, Ethics, and Intimacy: The Need for Scientific Research
In: On the Cognitive, Ethical, and Scientific Dimensions of Artificial Intelligence: Themes from IACAP 20162019
Conferences
- Undergraduate STEM Students and Community Engagement Activities: Initial Findings from an Assessment of Their Concern for Public Well-Being
In: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & ExpositionJune 2018
Other Publications
- Ethical Issues From Authorship to Human Subjects Research
In: Physics TodayAugust 2018