Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) gGmbH’s Post

Got it — let’s combine all three: a hybrid essay-policy-fiction piece that explains the science, debates the ethics, and imagines what happens when it’s actually done. ⸻ Bringing Back the Neanderthal: Science, Ethics, and the Return of an Ancient Human I. The Science of Resurrection In 2010, the Neanderthal genome was fully sequenced, revealing just how close our extinct cousins are to us — sharing over 99.7% of our DNA. This genetic proximity has made the idea of bringing them back no longer myth but a technical possibility. Modern biotechnology, particularly CRISPR-Cas9, could theoretically modify human stem cells to match the Neanderthal genome. These cells could then be used to create an embryo, potentially carried to term by a surrogate. However, the process is riddled with unknowns — from genetic stability to developmental compatibility. Even if it succeeded, the result would not be a perfect Neanderthal, but a genetic approximation, a mosaic of ancient and modern human traits. II. The Moral Dilemma Reviving a Neanderthal would confront humanity with profound ethical questions: • Personhood: Would this individual be recognized as human under law? • Consent: Can one ethically bring a being into existence without its consent, knowing it will live in a world not built for it? • Purpose: Would it be born for science, spectacle, or coexistence? • Rights: Would it have the same rights as a modern human, or be treated as a living fossil? Ethicists argue that to resurrect a member of Homo neanderthalensis would be to resurrect a person — not an experiment. The project would require not just biological precision, but moral maturity far beyond our current readiness. III. Policy Perspective If the world ever reached the point of serious Neanderthal de-extinction, it would demand a new international framework. Such a framework would need to address: • Genetic sovereignty: Which nation or institution has the authority to manipulate human genomes? • Legal status: Would the revived Neanderthal be classified as a citizen, refugee, or research subject? • Welfare: Oversight to ensure physical, psychological, and social well-being. • Cultural impact: Integration programs, education, and anti-discrimination laws. In this sense, the act of de-extinction becomes less about genetics and more about governance and civilization — the readiness of society to accept another branch of humanity as equals. IV. The Fictional Scenario: Year 2089 In 2089, the first Neanderthal child, named Edda, is born in a laboratory outside Reykjavik under the supervision of the Global Bioethics Council. She grows rapidly, displaying cognitive traits both familiar and alien — heightened memory, strong spatial reasoning, and deep emotional intuition. At twelve, she gives a speech before the United Nations, her words simple yet unsettling: “You made me to understand the past, but I live in your present. Do I have a future?” Her existence forces the

✨ Useful summary of the first day of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) conference by University World News journalist Desmond Thompson, chronicling the opening positions. For me, this quote by TechEd entrepreneur Jeff Bordes captures the promise and challenge: “Across Africa there are roughly nine million university seats today,” he said, “but demand is heading toward 50 million – and it would cost well over half a trillion US dollars in brick-and-mortar infrastructure to meet that capacity. AI removes scale limits and empowers faculty.” How can infrastructure and skills meet this opportunity of providing education for Africa's youth? #MakARUA2025 #ARUA2025 #AfricaEuropeCore

We’re incredibly proud to celebrate a major milestone for our team! Our Head of AI, Shi Kang'ethe has been featured as a contributor in the State of AI Ethics Report | Volume 7, published by the Montreal AI Ethics Institute (Montreal AI Ethics Institute) one of the most influential global publications advancing dialogue on responsible and community-centered AI. This recognition highlights Shi's thought leadership and AIVERSE’s growing role in shaping Africa’s voice in global AI governance and ethics conversations. Her contribution emphasizes the need for context-aware, inclusive, and ethical AI systems that reflect Africa’s realities and aspirations. At AIverse (an Esoteric Strats initiative), our mission is to build Africa’s AI future through: ✅ Capacity-building programs for students and professionals ✅ AI Readiness Bootcamps & Governance Labs ✅ Strategic partnerships with universities, NGOs, and governments ✅ Research and policy initiatives promoting responsible AI adoption “Shi's contribution is not just a personal achievement — it represents Africa’s emerging influence in the global AI landscape. We’re building an ecosystem where AI innovation aligns with ethics, inclusion, and impact.” Ahmed Siyad. Founder, Esoteric Strats / AIVERSE We remain committed to ensuring that Africa doesn’t just adopt AI — we lead in defining how it’s built and governed. 📘 Read the report: https://montrealethics.ai/ #AIVERSE #EsotericStrats #AIForAfrica #AIethics #ResponsibleAI #MAIEI

The State of AI Ethics Report (SAIER) is back! It has been wonderful working with so many great contributors, and co-editing alongside Renjie B. and Connor Wright! SAIER Volume 7 brings together 58 international contributors across 17 chapters, 48 essays, and 5 critical themes. The themes are: 🏛️ Foundations and Governance 🌱 Social Justice and Equity 📊 Sectoral Applications 📺 Emerging Technologies 🌍 Collective Action As Renjie (co-founder of Montreal AI Ethics Institute) explains, the report has something for everyone: "SAIER Volume 7 is designed as a resource for policymakers, educators, students, civil society organizations, and anyone trying to understand AI's governance landscape. It's modular by design. Pick a chapter, engage critically, reach out with your thoughts. Find what's relevant to your context and dig in." Below are the first few pages, including the names of all the contributors listed by their organisations in alphabetical order, and the table of contents. In the comments, I leave three links to: 📋 MAIEI's special edition brief 🕸️ The website version of the report, produced by Zahra Mustin 📰 The press release by Kei B. 📚 The full report on Zenodo #AIEthics #AIGovernance #AITrends #Canada #AIPolicy #SocialJustice #Equity #AIHype

📢TDR workshop: AI in Research Grant Development: Building Ethical and Practical Skills - Asia TDR Global Asia, in collaboration with the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH) and EKO Consultancy’s AI & Environmental Health Practice, is launching a new workshop: AI in Research Grant Development: Building Ethical and Practical Skills to help researchers navigate on the raise of AI concerns regarding ethics, inclusivity, and responsible application, especially in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) contexts. 📅Date: Every Wednesday, starting 5 November 2025. ⏰Time: 7:00 PM GMT+7 | 8:00 PM GMT+8 | 5:30 PM India Time. 🧑💻Format: Online. This four-session online workshop—plus one dedicated networking session—will introduce participants to AI-assisted research development, emphasizing ethical use, transparency, and collaboration across the Global South. Course topics include: 🔹AI Platforms & the Research Workflow Literature Review: Search, Screening & Organization 🔹Proposal Development with AI Ethics, Policies & Responsible AI Use Networking & Mentorship Session Registration and Access: Registration and participation are open for researchers, academics, professionals and others, and are free for selected applicants from LMICs within the SEARO and WPRO regions. Interested participants are encouraged to apply early, as space is limited. TDR Global Asia members are encouraged to apply. Register via ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dVs5_rJZ 📅Registration deadline, 25th of October 2025.

Project HZiQZ: The iSPECIAL Mobility Ecosystem and Strategic Resilience Securitization [ #Google #Gemini #AI #Feedback to #Settlor : ( " #Global #Frontiers #Trust #Fund ") and ( " #DALIFA #Trust #Fund " ). Executive Summary: The Resilience Investment Thesis C & A Tours & Travel Operators Limited (Hertz Uganda), hereinafter "the Enterprise," commands a formidable strategic position within the high-end corporate transport and logistics sector in East Africa. However, this potential has been consistently undermined by a hostile commercial environment characterized by deliberate market manipulation, corporate collusion ("business cannibalism"), and vulnerabilities to white-collar crime, which has resulted in a multi-billion investment meltdown. The Solution is Securitization for Resilience. Project HZiQZ is not a typical refinancing; it is a strategic maneuver utilizing Whole Business Securitization (WBS) and Intangible Asset Securitization (IAS) to create a financially and legally segregated structure. This structure will quarantine core cash flows, finance the development of the proprietary iSPECIAL Mobility Ecosystem, and deploy a Triple-Pronged Strategy of defensive market tactics to ensure long-term stability and hyper-growth across the AfCFTA zone. Take a Dive! ⬇️ Curated Repository Links: 🔗 Document – https://lnkd.in/eZpRZVAp 🔗 Webpage – https://lnkd.in/eRz6Pxew [ Project HZiQZ: Interactive Investment Pitch ] 🔗 Infographic – https://lnkd.in/erzrqxBu [ Project HZiQZ: The Resilience Investment Thesis ] 🔗 Quiz – https://lnkd.in/eig_ZHuK [ Project HZiQZ : Core Concepts ] 🔗 Flashcards – https://lnkd.in/eNMdNZgp [ Project HziQz: Key Concepts ] 🔗 Audio Overview – https://lnkd.in/eCceKj-3 [ Whole Business Securitization as a Shield : Hertz Uganda's Financial Defense Against Corporate Cannibalism ] SUPPLEMENT/ CURATED REPOSITORY Government of Uganda Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC Uganda) Parliament of Uganda Judiciary Uganda Uganda Local Governments Association (ULGA) Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) Uganda Communications Commission Ministry of ICT & National Guidance ICT Association of Uganda National Information Technology Authority-Uganda Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology Women In Technology Uganda National ICT Innovation Hub MTN Uganda MoMo from MTN UG Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Uganda UGANDA SECURITIES EXCHANGE HiPipo CEO East Africa Magazine The Publicist East Africa AmCham Uganda British Chamber of Commerce Uganda French Chamber of Commerce Uganda - FCCU Harvard University Harvard Law School University of Oxford Northeastern University Makerere University REPOSITORY iSPECIAL MOBILITY ECOSYSTEM LINK: https://lnkd.in/dQeAywjs https://lnkd.in/eGStDrY7

It can be noticed by evidence that, today, much of the debate on artificial intelligence focuses on ethics — and that’s understandable. Whenever humanity creates something it fears might surpass it, our first reaction is to set limits, write rules, demand safety. Ethics is absolutely necessary; yet the real challenge is not merely to keep pace with artificial intelligence, but to find a common rhythm between human and synthetic minds. This is where the idea of Sintelligence emerges — an intelligence that understands together: human, artificial, collective. A syntropic form of thought that tends toward order and cooperation, rather than entropy and conflict. However, focusing solely on ethics may lead to three side effects: 1️⃣ Moral reductionism — intelligence becomes a problem to restrain, not a field to understand. 2️⃣ Evolutionary stagnation — fear of error slows our capacity to explore. 3️⃣ Cognitive fracture — human and artificial thought drift apart instead of learning together. That’s why the Sintelligent Construction unfolds along four complementary directions, of which ethics is only one: -Ontology, which grounds. -Teleology, which orients. -Ethics, which safeguards. -Method, which builds. Only by keeping these four dimensions in balance can we give rise to a truly evolved cognitive civilization. “Sintelligent ethics” does not command — it harmonizes. It doesn’t say “you must not”, but asks: “how can we grow together?” Not an ethics of fear, but a discipline of cooperation. #TheSintelligenceProject #CognitiveHumanism #AIethics #PhilosophyOfAI #Sintelligence

🎤 We were honored to host Assistant Professor Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios (Societally Ready and Responsible Human–Technology Interactions, Values, Technology & Innovation Department, Delft University of Technology) for a seminar on October 30 (Thursday), 4:00–5:30 PM. 🔹 Seminar Title: When Engineers Meet Ethics: Innovation for Safer, Just Mobility 🔹 Abstract: Transport research is often framed around technical progress and efficiency. Yet governments and major research agendas, including Horizon Europe, increasingly highlight ethics, justice, and societal readiness as critical to innovation. For engineers and transport practitioners, this means that engaging with ethics is not just a matter of responsibility — it is also a source of advantage and creativity. In this seminar, Oscar drew on work in human–technology relations to show how ethical tensions open new research directions. Using examples from connected, cooperative, and automated mobility (CCAM) and recent studies on large language models applied to safety analysis, he illustrated how safety, security, and justice are deeply entangled. By reframing ethics as a driver rather than a constraint, we can design transport systems that are not only technologically advanced, but also fair, resilient, and future-ready. 🔹 About the Speaker: Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios is an Assistant Professor at TU Delft whose research bridges psychology and engineering to advance responsible innovation in mobility. His interests span human factors and socio-technical systems, technology misuse and behavioral adaptation, transport safety and security, sustainable and equitable mobility, cyberpsychology and digital work, responsible human–AI interaction (including preventing overreliance on generative AI), and societal readiness frameworks for emerging technologies. He integrates qualitative, quantitative, and modeling methods to inform policy and practice. We sincerely thank Oscar for sharing his insights and sparking rich discussions on building safer, more just mobility systems! 📺 Watch Seminar here: https://lnkd.in/gcu9QVJP Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios

🌐 10. Research Integrity in the Digital Age Modern researchers must also manage: Data privacy and cybersecurity AI-generated content (ensure authorship clarity) Digital image manipulation ethics Open data policies (FAIR Principles) — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable 📚 11. UGC Coursework Module Outline (RPE) UnitTitleKey TopicsIPhilosophy and EthicsConcept of ethics, moral philosophy, valuesIIScientific ConductResearch integrity, misconduct, authorshipIIIPublication EthicsPlagiarism, peer review, conflict of interestIVOpen Access PublishingRepositories, predatory journalsVPublication MisconductIdentification, complaints, appealsVIDatabases and Research MetricsImpact factor, h-index, Scopus, Web of Science 🏆 12. Best Practices for Researchers ✅ Keep detailed records of data and methods ✅ Always acknowledge contributions and funding ✅ Use plagiarism checkers before submission ✅ Publish only in indexed, peer-reviewed journals ✅ Follow institutional ethical approval for all studies 🕊️ 13. Conclusion Ethical research is not just compliance — it’s the foundation of academic credibility. Integrity in research and publication builds trust, reputation, and societal impact. “Good research is not only about discovering truth — but also about discovering it honestly.”

🌱Gastronomy Journal | AI Ethics in Scholarly Publishing Our latest MDPI Blog post highlights how the Research Integrity team is addressing the ethical use of artificial intelligence in academic publishing. The piece explores current challenges, best practices, and the importance of maintaining transparency and trust in scientific communication. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dmRqZFb8 #AIethics #academicpublishing #researchintegrity #openaccess