Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

08/20/2026

✨ The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics hosted a thought-provoking series of webinars on AI and Magnifica Humanitas, the Papal encyclical. The series brought together deeply engaging discussions at the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics, and human dignity.

The four-part series was centered on the topics of education, labor, consciousness, and disarming AI.

🎥 Missed the live sessions? The full webinar recordings are now available.

👇 Access link in the first comment.

08/19/2026

Are smart glasses a "Trojan horse of unbridled digital harm"? 🕶️⚠️

In a recent interview with Courtney Theriault on Midday on 880 CHED, Irina Raicu, Director of Internet Ethics at the , unpacks the hidden ethical risks of wearable recording tech.

👇 Access podcast link in first comment.

08/18/2026

✂️ Is cutting red tape worth the loss of public trust in government?

🏛️ San Jose City Council will allow online public comments as part of a broader measure to speed up board processes. Director of Government Ethics, Davina Hurt, spoke with San José Spotlight on how this will affect the public’s trust in the government.

👇 Access article in first comment.

08/18/2026

How low will people stoop to make a profit?

Lawmakers are calling for more limitations when it comes to betting on natural disasters. In a CBS News article, Senior Director of Leadership Ethics Ann S***t questions what allowing these kinds of bets says about society.

👇 Access article in first comment.

08/13/2026

💸 When money is on the line, prediction markets stop predicting behavior and start funding it.

🔥 Following the 2025 Southern California fires, California legislators are calling prediction market platforms to stop offering bets tied to wildfires. Senior Director of Leadership Ethics, Ann S***t, talked to ABC7 News, warning that prediction markets are motivating people to do something that is not necessarily good for society.

👇 Access article in first comment.

08/12/2026

Director, Technology Ethics, Brian Patrick Green will assess where the technology stands and walk participants through the Pope’s new encyclical on artificial intelligence at the Third annual "AI & The Church Summit" in Nashville, Aug. 24–27.

This year's theme is "Exploring Human Agency in the Age of AI." Green is the Keynote speaker on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026.

The event is available in person and online.

Learn more at the link in comments.

Third annual AI & The Church Summit gathers four denominations in Nashville, Aug. 24–27, with Anthropic’s Chloe Lubinski and Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde; online registration open to all.

Further information: https://AIChurchSummit.org

08/11/2026

Is there really such a thing as a free favor in politics? 🏛️👀

In a recent Insider report on White House product endorsements of corporate donors, government ethics expert Davina Hurt comments on a crucial reality: private corporate favors in politics rarely remain free. Over time, political gifts often generate expectations of return favors and taxpayers are frequently left in the dark about the true cost.

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08/11/2026

Should you be able to bet on a wildfire? U.S. lawmakers don’t think so.

According to a recent piece by The Guardian, U.S. lawmakers are cracking down on prediction-based market platforms that allow users to bet on wildfires. Ann S***t backed the CFTC’s regulations, warning that allowing financial stakes on active fires creates a dangerous incentive for arson.

👇 Access the article in the first comment.

08/08/2026

What do you do when you disagree with your parents about politics and the choice feels impossible: stay silent and bury what you believe, or speak up and risk the relationship?

A reader posed that question to William O'Neill, S.J., a resident scholar in Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and the SCU Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education. His response reframes the situation: before defending a position, notice whether you're defending a belief or defending yourself. That distinction changes the conversation.

O'Neill's advice starts with listening, not to prepare a rebuttal, but to find shared values that make real disagreement possible. He addresses when to press forward, when to step back, and why ending one conversation doesn't mean ending the relationship.

"Ask a Jesuit" is the first installment of Ask an Expert, a new Santa Clara Magazine feature where the University's Jesuit theologians respond to ethical questions from the Santa Clara University community.

Have an ethical dilemma? Send your question to [email protected].

🔗 https://go.scu.edu/4fDSXsv

08/07/2026

When organizations turn to AI agents for human resources support, balancing administrative efficiency with authentic care becomes a critical leadership challenge. A recent article from addresses the ethical dimensions of automated empathy in the workplace. 🏢🤖

Ann S***t highlights the ethical pitfalls of using AI to fake empathy, suggesting that companies “be thoughtful” about how they deploy AI to avoid eroding “relationships and human connection to each other.”

👇 Access the full article in the first comment.