Dr.Kudina, O. (Olya)

Olya Kudina is an Assistant Professor in Ethics/Philosophy of Technology at Delft University of Technology with a particular interest in AI Ethics. She explores the dynamic moral world and the role technologies play in it through the prism of moral hermeneutics, pragmatism, and empirical philosophy. Additionally, she helps to integrate ethical reflection and cultural sensitivity as integral counterparts in the design process. She holds a PhD degree in Philosophy of Technology from the University of Twente (2019). Olay’s previous work outside academia adds diplomacy, (inter)governmental work, data protection and privacy to her skill-set.

In the context of TU Delft AI-Labs’ programme, she explores the ethical implications of AI, specifically related to value change and the sociotechnical systems perspective. Olya explores technologically induced value change bottom-up, starting from human practices and guided by empirical philosophy. This allows her to explore “moral hermeneutics”, i.e. how the value meaning-making evolves in the process of technological use in productive cultural settings. Currently, Olya analyses how AI-enabled voice assistants co-shape the values of communication, courtesy, respect, privacy and others through their presence at one’s home. Her research interests span across the intersection of design and ethics of technology, bioethics, AI ethics, media studies, and empirically-oriented philosophy.

For more information on Olya’s research and publications, visit her website. To get an idea of her research, you may watch Olya’s TedX talk below.