Call for Papers:

Special Issue on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
For the Journal Ethics & Bioethics (in Central Europe)
https://reference-global.com/journal/EBCE?tab=announcements#journal-tabs

Deadline for submission of abstracts: September 30, 2026

We are pleased to announce a special issue of Ethics & Bioethics (in Central Europe) dedicated to the ethical, philosophical, social, and political implications of artificial intelligence (AI), scheduled for publication in June 2027.

Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most transformative technologies of the twenty-first century. AI systems increasingly shape decision-making processes in healthcare, education, governance, employment, communication, security, science, and everyday social interaction. At the same time, the development and implementation of AI technologies raise profound ethical questions concerning autonomy, responsibility, justice, privacy, human dignity, discrimination, transparency, accountability, and the transformation of human agency.

The growing integration of AI into social and institutional structures has generated urgent debates across philosophy, bioethics, political theory, law, sociology, media studies, and technology studies. Questions surrounding algorithmic bias, automated decision-making, surveillance, digital inequality, explainability, accountability, AI safety, cybersecurity, and the moral status and agency of artificial systems are becoming central to contemporary ethical reflection. In healthcare and bioethics, AI technologies additionally challenge traditional understandings of professional responsibility, informed consent, patient autonomy, trust, and human relationships in care.

This special issue aims to bring together interdisciplinary contributions addressing the ethical, social, legal, and political dimensions of artificial intelligence and related digital technologies. We welcome both theoretical and applied approaches, as well as critical perspectives examining the promises, risks, limitations, and societal consequences of AI systems.

The special issue will be organized around several broad thematic areas, including but not limited to:

AI, autonomy, and human agency
Topics may include:

• the impact of AI on human autonomy and decision-making,
• algorithmic paternalism,
• manipulation and behavioural prediction,
• authenticity and agency in digital environments,
• human–machine interaction,
• questions concerning moral agency and responsibility in AI systems.

AI ethics and healthcare
Topics may include:

• AI-assisted medical decision-making,
• digital health technologies and telemedicine,
• patient autonomy and informed consent,
• responsibility and accountability in healthcare AI,
• depersonalisation and trust in healthcare relationships,
• ethical implications of therapeutic chatbots and care robots,
• digital health inequalities.

Justice, bias, and discrimination
Topics may include:

• algorithmic bias and fairness,
• discrimination in automated systems,
• digital inequality,
• access to AI technologies,
• AI and social justice,
• ethical aspects of predictive systems,
• inclusion and exclusion in digital societies.

Responsibility, regulation, and governance
Topics may include:

• moral and legal responsibility for AI systems,
• explainability and transparency,
• AI governance frameworks,
• regulation of high-risk AI,
• AI liability and accountability,
• data protection and privacy law,
• human rights implications of AI systems,
• professional accountability,
• ethical and legal standards for AI development and deployment,
• institutional oversight of AI systems.

AI safety, security, and emerging risks
Topics may include:

• AI safety, alignment, control, and existential risks,
• cybersecurity and AI systems,
• autonomous weapons and military uses of AI,
• ethical risks associated with dual-use AI systems,
• misinformation, deepfakes, and synthetic media,
• AI and critical infrastructure,
• ethical dimensions of AI security governance,
• societal risks associated with advanced AI systems.

AI, society, and the future of humanity
Topics may include:

• AI and democratic institutions,
• surveillance and privacy,
• AI, digital platforms, concentration of technological power, and digital inequalities,
• AI and human dignity,
• ethical implications of enhancement technologies,
• AI and transformations of human society.

We particularly encourage submissions that engage with contemporary philosophical debates, normative ethical theory, critical AI studies, bioethics, political philosophy, philosophy of technology, and interdisciplinary approaches that bridge philosophy, the social sciences, law, and technology studies.

Submissions should be original, unpublished works of approximately 8,000 words, including references.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Deadline for submitting abstracts (500 words): September 30, 2026
• Notification of acceptance of abstracts: October 31, 2026
• Deadline for full paper submissions: January 31, 2027
• Completion of peer review and revisions: April 2027
• Submission of the special issue to the publisher: May 31, 2027
• Publication of the special issue: Vol. 17 (1–2), 2027

All submissions will undergo double-blind peer review in accordance with the journal’s standard review process.

For further information or inquiries, please contact the guest editor at: anetta.jedlickova@fhs.cuni.cz

For more about the journal, please visit https://reference-global.com/journal/EBCE