Artificial Social Ethics: Simulating Culture, Conflict, and Cooperation

Abstract

In recent years advances in computational modeling and social simulation technologies have enabled scientists to identify some of the conditions under which - and the mechanisms by which - conflict and cooperation within and across human cultures are likely to emerge. There are significant ethical concerns surrounding the increased capacity and growing use of such computer tools to guide public policy discussions. The purpose of this paper is to propose and promote an "artificial social ethics"approach to addressing these concerns and illustrate its application in relation to three agent-based models implemented within the Artificial Society Analytics Platform. We conclude with a brief discussion of next steps in future work, and an invitation to join the ethical conversation around the development and deployment of artificial societies designed to address societal challenges resulting from climate change and other crises.