The Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics engages digital and humanities methodologies to explore and critique topics surrounding emerging technology and responsible innovation. Our faculty and staff exemplify the interdisciplinary vision of ASU, and are united in their commitment to applying ethics within and beyond the university through methods of co-creation and participatory research. Below are just a few examples of recent projects in this area. 

The “Experiences on TikTok” Virtual Panel Series explores what it’s like on the platform for marginalized creators from black, disabled, fat, and queer experiences. Discussions focus on engagement with audiences, collaborating with fellow creators, and TikTok as a platform and a company. The panel is a product of the partnership between The Online Creators’ Association (TOCA), ASU digital media scholar Sarah Florini, and the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics’ Liz Grumbach. Currently our panel led by Black Creators is now archived on the Lincoln Center’s Youtube Channel, and the remaining three panels (Disabled, Fat, and Queer Creators) will be added shortly—so make sure to subscribe for updates.

Zombified Media is a public science communication project and interdisciplinary research collaborative that explores the phenomenon of zombification across the sciences, humanities, and arts. The initiative is led by Lincoln Professor, Athena Aktipis, and features scholars, practitioners, and artists from across the world who blend scholarship with publicly accessible info-tainment. The World’s Leading Zombie Apocalypse Channel, Channel Zed, live-streams discussions with experts on a host of thematic shows every Monday at 10:30am MST on our Youtube Channel. While long-form interviews with experts on the Zombified Podcast can be accessed across podcast streaming platforms. Follow us on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter) to subscribe for updates on what’s happening next in this collective apocalyptish moment.

Humane Tech Design Studios are participatory action research collaborations that bring together academics, technologists and changemakers to address problems posed by new technologies and intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. A series of exploratory research collaborations are then followed by an activation stage as the momentum of the group coalesces upon a co-created research project that reflects the trajectory of conversations and could not have been predicted at the start. Design studios create space for participants to reflect, imagine and activate, using their shared understanding to collaborate on larger, thematic questions aimed at improving human flourishing. To further the impact of these events, the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics is working to create a living, digital archive of participants’ insights and discoveries. Sign up for the Lincoln Center newsletter to keep up to date on those developments, and if you have questions about any of these initiatives, contact Erica O’Neil for more information at eloneil@asu.edu.