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About

Alberto Pirni is a philosopher and ethicist whose work sits at the crossroads of technology, society, and moral theory, with a particular focus on robotics, artificial intelligence, and their implications for human life. His most influential contributions examine the ethical dimensions of care robots for the elderly, exploring how autonomous systems interact with fundamental values of autonomy and vulnerability. His 2021 paper on Value Sensitive Design and the UN Sustainable Development Goals has garnered 58 citations, establishing him as a leading voice in aligning AI development with broader humanitarian objectives. Alongside this, his work on robot care ethics — with 28 citations — has deepened scholarly understanding of what "care" means in an increasingly automated healthcare landscape. Pirni has also made notable contributions to questions of social justice in technology, interrogating the "robotic divide" through frameworks of recognition and fair access. His earlier work on the legal and philosophical subjectivity of autonomous agents reflects a long-standing engagement with foundational questions about robots and rights. Across his career, Pirni has consistently demonstrated that technological progress demands rigorous ethical scrutiny, making his research essential reading for scholars navigating the human dimensions of emerging technologies.