Ash Center logo

News and Analysis

Read the latest news, commentary, and analysis from the Ash Center.

A hand pressing a tablet using AI.

Q+A

Q & A: Crocodile tears, Can the ethical-moral intelligence of AI models be trusted?

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in everyday decision-making, its role in shaping how people think about ethics and morality is drawing increasing scrutiny. In this conversation with researcher Sarah Hubbard, we discuss insights from her co-authored paper, “Crocodile Tears: Can the Ethical-Moral Intelligence of AI Models Be Trusted?”—examining how AI systems respond to moral dilemmas, and what this reveals about the risks, limitations, and need for greater transparency and human oversight in AI-driven ethical guidance.

Read The Story

Filter by

  • Issue Areas
  • Programs
  • Format

Filters

Close

Filters

Issue Areas
Programs
Format

523 Items

of 59

Newest

“Our Declaration” Reissued for America 250
The book cover against a blue background.

Commentary

“Our Declaration” Reissued for America 250

First published in 2014, Professor Danielle Allen’s Our Declaration has been reissued with a new foreword this year to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

AI models appear to recognize moral complexity — then ignore it, new study by researchers affiliated with Harvard Kennedy School’s Allen Lab finds
Outstretched hands holding a graphic of a scale and the outlines of two heads.

Media Release

AI models appear to recognize moral complexity — then ignore it, new study by researchers affiliated with Harvard Kennedy School’s Allen Lab finds

New study published in AI and Ethics introduces a new ethical-moral intelligence framework for AI and finds that leading AI models mimic human moral concern while making decisions that reveal a hidden value hierarchy. 

Q & A: Crocodile tears, Can the ethical-moral intelligence of AI models be trusted?
A hand pressing a tablet using AI.

Q+A

Q & A: Crocodile tears, Can the ethical-moral intelligence of AI models be trusted?

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in everyday decision-making, its role in shaping how people think about ethics and morality is drawing increasing scrutiny. In this conversation with researcher Sarah Hubbard, we discuss insights from her co-authored paper, “Crocodile Tears: Can the Ethical-Moral Intelligence of AI Models Be Trusted?”—examining how AI systems respond to moral dilemmas, and what this reveals about the risks, limitations, and need for greater transparency and human oversight in AI-driven ethical guidance.

Voter Experience Summit Recap

Commentary

Voter Experience Summit Recap

Allen Lab Fellow Hillary Lehr convened a Voter Experience Summit at Harvard’s Ash Center in March, bringing together 25 cross-sector experts to rigorously map the voter journey. This essay explores how that collaborative process could lay the groundwork for new interventions to understand and improve the experience of voting for all.

How Well Do Voting Choice Policies Represent Investor Preferences?
I voted icon

Feature

How Well Do Voting Choice Policies Represent Investor Preferences?

Asset managers face increasing political risk stemming from concerns that they prioritize their own interests when voting on behalf of investors. Using survey evidence and structural estimation, Montagnes provides early evidence on how well asset managers represent their investors by studying the ideological alignment between the two in the initial implementation of “voting choice policies.”

Before the Civil Rights Act, My Great-Uncle from Roxbury Took on Pullman in 1954 — and Won
A photo collage of some members of the Greenidge family.

Commentary

Before the Civil Rights Act, My Great-Uncle from Roxbury Took on Pullman in 1954 — and Won

As we commemorate 100 years of Black History Month, it is worth remembering that progress was not driven by headlines alone. Beyond the monuments and courtrooms, everyday people took risks to demand dignity and fairness. Among them was my great uncle, whose pursuit of a promotion became a catalyst for change.

The Present — and Future — of Alternatives to Police

Commentary

The Present — and Future — of Alternatives to Police

Allen Lab Affiliate Benjamin A. Barsky examines alternative emergency response programs — arguing for a democratic model of public safety governance in which responses to nonviolent incidents are shared across government and civil society rather than dominated by police.

India & the Olympics of AI

Commentary

India & the Olympics of AI

Allen Lab Fellow Jeremy McKey reflects on India’s AI Impact Summit, exploring the theme of diffusion and the implications for sovereignty and democracy.