The UNESCO Chair in Ethics of AI and Practical Wisdom is jointly held by two Full Professors of Moral Philosophy: Mario De Caro at Roma Tre University and Benedetta Giovanola at the University of Macerata. The Chair is supported by an international scientific committee of scholars from philosophy, computer science, law, cognitive science, and the arts, and by a global network of academic, institutional, and scholarly partners.
01 · CHAIR HOLDERS
The Chair holders
CHAIR AND HOLDER · ROMA TRE UNIVERSITY
Mario De Caro
Professor of Moral Philosophy — Roma Tre University
Mario De Caro is Professor of Moral Philosophy at Roma Tre University, where he holds the UNESCO Chair in Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Practical Wisdom. He also regularly serves as a Visiting Professor at Tufts University. He was a Fulbright Fellow at Harvard University, a Visiting Scholar on two occasions at MIT, President of the Italian Society for Moral Philosophy (SIFM) and of the Italian Society for Analytic Philosophy (SIFA), and Vice-President of the Italian National Council of Philosophy.
He is President of the Society for the Ethics and Politics of Artificial Intelligence (SEPAI), a member of the Steering Committee of the International Federation of Philosophical Associations (FISP), literary executor of Hilary Putnam, and a member of the Observatory on the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence Systems in the Workplace, established by the Italian Ministry of Labour.
He has collaborated with RAI, the Italian public broadcaster, and with Il Sole 24 Ore; he now writes for the Italian national newspaper La Stampa. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid ‘5329 DeCaro’ in his honour. He has taught and lectured at more than 100 universities in 24 countries and has published seven books and more than 200 scholarly articles in six languages.
His research focuses on moral philosophy, AI ethics, metaphilosophy, philosophy of mind, and history of early modern philosophy and science.
CO-CHAIR AND CO-HOLDER · UNIVERSITY OF MACERATA
Benedetta Giovanola
Full Professor of Moral Philosophy — University of Macerata
Benedetta Giovanola is Full Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Macerata, where she directs the Ph.D. Programme in Politics, Society, Technology and holds the Jean Monnet Chair EDIT — Ethics for Inclusive Digital Europe (European Commission).
She is Visiting Professor at Tufts University and Adjunct Professor of Economic Philosophy and Business Ethics at the Catholic University of Milan.
Her research spans the ethics of artificial intelligence, digital and media ethics, and theories of social and global justice, with a particular focus on fairness in algorithmic decision-making and on ethics by design in healthcare AI.
She coordinates the EU-funded projects EthicAI4CARE (Erasmus+) and JustHealth (Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network), and has published extensively in leading international journals on AI ethics, business ethics, and political philosophy.
02 · SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
An international committee
The Chair is supported by an international Scientific Committee, gathering scholars and practitioners from philosophy, computer science, law, cognitive science, and the arts. The Committee brings together colleagues from universities and research institutions across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
03 · PARTNERS
Network of universities, institutions and societies
The Chair collaborates with a global network of universities, sister UNESCO Chairs, research institutions, and scholarly societies working on the ethics, governance, and social implications of artificial intelligence.
JOIN THE NETWORK
Become part of the conversation
The Chair grows through the people who join its work. If you are a scholar, a policymaker, a professional working with artificial intelligence, or an institution seeking ethical dialogue, we welcome new voices in our conversation.