Information Ethics Roundtable
We are excited to bring back our in-person Information Ethics Roundtable conference from March 31 – April 2, 2023. For questions about the IER, please contact Don Fallis (d.fallis@northeastern.edu) or Kay Mathiesen (k.mathiesen@northeastern.edu).
19th Annual Information Ethics Roundtable
Ethics and Epistemology of Virtual Reality
March 31-April 2, 2023
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
Virtual reality is a hot topic both practically and philosophically. In 2021 Mark Zuckerberg announced that the “metaverse” would be the successor to the internet. And in 2022 the philosopher David Chalmers came out with the book Reality+, which champions the value of “simulated life.” Chalmers takes as his starting point the hypothesis that we are likely in a simulation right now and don’t know it. What is certain is that the use of virtual and augmented reality is spreading. Virtual and augmented reality systems are being used in video games, dating, healthcare, job training, military operations, and cultural institutions. While many of these systems are in very early stages, it is imperative that we engage now in serious reflection on their ethical and epistemological ramifications. This conference provides an opportunity for scholars to gather together to reflect on what virtual and augmented reality means for our understanding of ourselves and our society.
The Information Ethics Roundtable is a yearly conference, which brings together researchers from disciplines such as philosophy, information science, communications, public administration, anthropology and law to discuss the ethical and epistemological issues related to emerging information technologies.
Keynote Speaker: David Chalmers, Department of Philosophy, NYU
Location: Northeastern University, Boston, Massachussetts
March 31, 2023
Cabral Center
40 Leon Street
Apr 1st and 2nd
Renaissance Park 909
1135 Tremont Street
Sponsors:
Northeastern Department of Philosophy and Religion
Northeastern Ethics Institute
Northeastern University College of Social Sciences and Humanities
Khoury College of Computer Sciences
Information Ethics Roundtable conferences are free and open to interested students and scholars. However, we would like to know you are coming so we can have name tags and refreshments available for attendees. Registration deadline is March 30, 2023.
The full conference schedule is below.
Schedule for the Information Ethics Roundtable 2023
The Ethics and Epistemology of Virtual Reality
Friday, March 31 – Cabral Center (John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, 40 Leon Street)
6:00-7:30 Keynote: “From the Matrix to the Metaverse”
Speaker: David Chalmers (New York University), in-person
7:30-8:30 Reception
Saturday, April 1 – Renaissance Park, Room 909 (1135 Tremont Street)
9:30 Breakfast
9:50 Welcome
10:00-11:00 Keynote [Zoom]: Philip Brey (University of Twente) Title– “Virtual Reality and the Metaverse: From Ontology to Ethics”
Chair: Victoria Violet (University of Oklahoma)
11:00-11:25 Morning Conversation Break
11:25-12:25 “If We’re Living in a Simulation, We’re Probably Massively Deluded”
Speaker: Don Fallis (Northeastern University)
Commentator: Rory Smead (Northeastern University)
12:25-2:25 Lunch at Local Restaurants
2:25-3:25 “Human Suffering and the Simulation Hypothesis”
Speaker: Grace Helton (Princeton University
Commentator: Rami Ali (University of Arizona)
3:25-3:50 Afternoon Conversation Break
3:50-4:50 “Virtual Choices, Genuine Choices, Fictional Choices”
Speaker: Joseph Larse (San Francisco State University)
Commentator: Alexander Zhang (Saint Louis University)
4:50-6:00 Free Time
6:00 Speaker Dinner (By invitation only)
Sunday, April 2 – Renaissance Park, Room 909 (1135 Tremont Street)
9:30 Breakfast
10:00-11:00 “Why We are Almost Certainly Living in a Simulation”
Speaker: Peter Lewis (Dartmouth College)
Commentator: Yonathan Fiat (MIT)
Chair: John Basl (Northeastern University)
11:00-11:25 Morning Conversation Break
11:25-12:25 ”Thinking Through Digital Worlds”
Speaker: Ian Werkheiser (University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley)
Commentator: Matt Smith (Northeastern University)
12:25-1:25 Catered Lunch
1:25-2:25 Keynote [zoom]: “Why We Should Hope We’re Not Living in a Simulation”
Eric Schwitzgebel (University of California, Riverside)
Chair: Cody Turner (Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center)
2:25-2:50 Afternoon Conversation Break
2:50-3:50 ”Privacy in a Virtual World”
Speaker: Kay Mathiesen (Northeastern University)
Commentator: Daniel Barbarrusa (University of Seville)
Chair: Dan Zelinski (Richard Bland College)
3:50-4:00 Round-up and Thanks
Virtual Events
- February 9, 2021 (will be rescheduled) – Catriona McKinnon, “Should we tolerate climate denial?’ – Revisited?”
- March 10, 2021 – Josh Simons, “Regulating Informational Infrastructure: Are Facebook and Google utilities for democracy?”
- April 8, 20201 – Jeff Hancock, “Can AI Mediate Communication? Understanding AI in Human-to-Human Interaction”
- May 5, 2021 – Silvia Milano, “Epistemic fragmentation and the challenge to civic governance of AI services”
Virtual Events
- October 19 2020 – Massimo Pigliucci, “The Philosophy of Pseudoscience”
- November 18, 2020 – Rachel Sterken, Jessica Pepp, and Eliot Michaelson, “On Retweeting”
- December 16, 2020 – Kevin Zollman, “Conformity, Social networks, and the Emergence of Pluralistic Ignorance”
“Justice and Fairness in Data Use and Machine Learning”, Northeastern University
“Surveillance, Algorithms, and Digital Culture”, University of Copenhagen
“Data and Ethics”, University of Illinois
Intellectual Freedom and Censorship”, University of Arizona
“Transparency and Secrecy”, University of Wisconsin
“Information Ethics and Global Citizenship”, University of Alberta
“Information Ethics and Policy”, University of Washington
“Privacy and the Challenge of Technology”, Hunter College
“Information Rights as Human Rights”, University of Arizona
“Consumer Health Information”, Bridgewater State College
“Misinformation and Disinformation”, University of Arizona
“Information Ethics and its Applications”, Hunter College
“Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Property”,University of Arizona
“Secrecy”, Pacific Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association
“Intellectual Property”, Montclair State University
“Privacy”, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
