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Technology & Ecology

The twenty-first century has been and will continue to be defined by two major trends: the rapid deterioration of ecological conditions on Earth, and the accelerated development of previously inconceivable technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced biotechnologies. These two trends interact in profound ways: the development and proliferation of new technologies offer new opportunities for safeguarding the more-than-human world while simultaneously posing serious risks to nonhumans and humans alike. Meanwhile, the availability and efficacy of technology will no doubt be challenged by increasing instability in the natural world, fueled by ecological crises like climate change.

The MOTH Program tackles legal questions that arise at this technology-ecology interface. What role can and should technology play in advancing protections for the more-than-human world and promoting improved human relations with the larger web of life? What guardrails need to be put in place to prevent existing and emerging technologies from harming the more-than-human world?