1. Artificial intelligence: transformative opportunity vs. existential danger
Artificial intelligence is reshaping science, medicine, communication, and the global economy, while raising unprecedented ethical and existential questions. This theme examines the governance of AI, the tension between innovation and safety, and the societal consequences of automation and autonomous weapons. It also addresses philosophical challenges surrounding identity, dignity, and the boundaries between humans and machines. Discussions will explore both policy frameworks and deeper reflections on moral agency in an age of intelligent systems.
- Who should regulate the development of AI, and how can safety be ensured without suppressing innovation?
- In what ways will automation and AI technologies reshape economies and the future of work?
- Do autonomous weapons and military uses of AI introduce new security dilemmas and risks for global peace?
- How do thinking or creative machines challenge human identity and philosophical boundaries between humans and technology?
2. Social media: polarization and education
Social media has become central to public discourse, political life, and cultural engagement, but its effects are profoundly ambivalent. Platforms can amplify misinformation and polarization, yet they also enable education, civic participation, and democratic innovation. This theme investigates the ethical responsibilities of digital intermediaries, the social and psychological impacts of connectivity, and the varying patterns of online polarization across cultures. It invites debate on how digital technologies reshape trust, knowledge, and collective life.
- How do digital platforms contribute to echo chambers and the spread of misinformation that deepen social divisions?
- What psychological effects does constant connectivity to social media have on young people?
- Can social media serve as positive tools for education, civic activism, and democratic participation?
- How does polarization manifest differently across diverse cultural and political contexts worldwide?
3. Cognitive and moral bioenhancement
Advances in neuroscience and biotechnology create possibilities for enhancing human cognitive and moral capacities. These interventions may foster cooperation, empathy, or foresight but also raise ethical questions about authenticity, equality, and moral responsibility. This theme explores the promises and risks of neurotechnologies and pharmaceuticals designed to improve cognition or moral dispositions, as well as the societal implications of unequal access. It encourages reflection on the meaning of human flourishing and the ethical limits of deliberate enhancement.
- To what extent can neurotechnologies—drugs and devices—enhance human cognitive capacities?
- Is it possible for biotechnology to foster moral traits such as empathy, cooperation, or altruism?
- Does access to bioenhancement risk reinforcing social inequalities and producing new forms of injustice?
- Does bioenhancement contribute to authentic human flourishing, or does it undermine it?
4. Germline genome editing and genetic interventions
Editing the human germline represents a critical frontier in science and ethics. Technologies such as CRISPR promise to eliminate genetic disease but also pose risks of unintended consequences, enhancement, and “designer” human scenarios. This theme examines the boundary between therapy and enhancement, the obligations toward future generations, and the challenges of global governance. It frames these issues within broader reflections on dignity, heredity, and responsible medical innovation.
- What ethical challenges arise from the use of CRISPR and similar technologies in human embryo editing?
- Where should the boundary be drawn between therapeutic applications and enhancement—between curing disease and creating “designer babies”?
- What responsibilities do we bear toward future generations when altering human heredity?
- Is there a need for universal governance on human gene editing, and what form should it take?
5. Food security, agricultural sustainability, and demographic pressures
Ensuring food security in a growing and ecologically constrained world is a pressing ethical and practical challenge. This theme explores technological innovations such as GMOs, synthetic foods, and vertical farming, alongside the tensions between agribusiness models and sustainability. It also examines issues of equity and justice in the global distribution of resources. Discussions will focus on how to secure sustainable and fair systems of food production for a changing population.
- How can humanity feed a growing global population while respecting ecological limits and ensuring fairness in resource distribution?
- What role might innovations such as GMOs, vertical farming, and synthetic foods play in securing the future of food?
- Do profit-driven agribusiness models undermine sustainability and ecological responsibility?
- How does the ethics of global justice shape questions of access to food and essential resources?
6. Climate change and ecological degradation
Climate change and ecological degradation constitute existential threats with profound ethical implications. This theme addresses the distribution of responsibilities between nations, obligations to future generations, and the moral evaluation of mitigation strategies including geoengineering and renewable energy. It also considers the intrinsic value of biodiversity and the ethical dimensions of human impact on ecosystems. The discussions aim to rethink humanity’s role and duties in the natural world.
- How should responsibilities for addressing climate change be distributed between developed and developing nations?
- What are the ethical and practical implications of biodiversity loss and mass extinction?
- Are strategies such as geoengineering, renewable energy, and carbon capture ethically justified given their trade-offs?
- What obligations do we owe to future generations in the face of escalating climate risks?
7. Pandemics and global health
The emergence of novel pathogens with pandemic potential represents a persistent and evolving threat to global health, economic stability, and social cohesion. This theme examines the ethical dimensions of pandemic preparedness and response, including vaccine equity, the balance between public health mandates and individual liberties, and the global governance of outbreaks. It addresses the lessons learned from recent pandemics and explores strategies to build resilient and just health systems capable of protecting vulnerable populations worldwide.
- How can global systems for vaccine and therapeutic development and distribution be structured to ensure equity and access for low and middle-income countries?
- What is the appropriate ethical balance between enforcing public health measures (e.g., quarantine, mandates) and preserving individual freedoms and privacy?
- How can the international community improve surveillance and transparent data-sharing to detect and contain outbreaks without fostering stigma or geopolitical conflict?
- What ethical obligations do nations have to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in regions most vulnerable to infectious disease crises?
8. Bioterrorism
The deliberate misuse of biological agents poses a unique and grave threat, blurring the lines between natural pandemics and intentional attacks. This theme explores the ethical and security challenges of dual-use research in the life sciences, the risks of accelerating pathogen engineering, and the moral dilemmas of developing defensive measures. It scrutinizes the governance of dangerous biological knowledge and the tensions between scientific openness, national security, and the prevention of catastrophic harm.
- How can the international community effectively monitor and govern dual-use biological research to prevent misuse while promoting beneficial science?
- What ethical principles should guide the development of biological countermeasures and the allocation of limited defensive resources?
- Does publishing the full genomic sequences of potential pandemic pathogens enable public health preparedness or create an unacceptable security risk?
- How can we foster a culture of responsibility and ethics among scientists working with dangerous agents to serve as a first line of defense against bioterrorism?
9. Nuclear threats
The existence of nuclear weapons continues to present an existential risk to humanity through the potential for intentional use, accidental launch, or escalation of geopolitical conflicts. This theme re-examines the ethical arguments for disarmament, deterrence, and non-proliferation in a changing multi-polar world. It addresses the moral responsibility of nuclear-armed states, the imperative of risk reduction, and the enduring ethical questions of justice and retaliation in the shadow of potential annihilation.
- Is the doctrine of nuclear deterrence ethically justifiable given the catastrophic and indiscriminate consequences of any nuclear exchange?
- What are the moral responsibilities of nuclear-armed states to pursue verifiable disarmament and prevent accidental or unauthorized launches?
- How can the international community ethically address the emergence of new nuclear states and the proliferation of weapons-grade materials?
- What ethical frameworks should guide the development and potential use of nuclear energy, balancing its benefits against proliferation risks?
10. Armed conflict and war
The nature of warfare is rapidly evolving with the integration of new technologies such as AI, autonomous systems, and cyber capabilities, while traditional conflicts persist. This theme investigates the ethical challenges of modern conflict, including the protection of civilians, accountability for automated weapons, and the changing norms of jus ad bellum and jus in bello. It also examines the deep humanitarian impacts of war and the moral imperatives of prevention, protection, and post-conflict reconciliation.
- How do autonomous weapons systems challenge existing international humanitarian law and the principles of distinction, proportionality, and accountability?
- What ethical obligations do nations and non-state actors have to protect civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage in cyber and conventional warfare?
- In an era of hybrid and asymmetric warfare, how can the rules of engagement and accountability be upheld?
- What are the ethical implications of using AI for targeting, intelligence analysis, and command decision-making in conflict?
