Brian Hedden named associate director of Computer Social and Ethical Responsibilities | MIT News
Brian Hedden PhD ’12 has been named associate director of the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) at MIT, a divisional initiative at the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, effective Jan. 16.
Hedden is a professor in the Department of Languages and Philosophy, holding an MIT Schwarzman College of Computing position shared with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). He joined the MIT faculty last fall from the Australian National University and the University of Sydney, where he served as a faculty member. He received his BA from Princeton University and his PhD from MIT, both in philosophy.
“Brian is a natural and compelling choice for SERC, as a philosopher whose work speaks directly to the intellectual challenges facing education and research today, particularly in computing and AI. His expertise in epistemology, decision theory, and ethics addresses the most pressing questions in an age defined by information overload and his expertise in artificial intelligence. The research that SERC exists to advance,” said Dan Huttenlocher, dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and Henry Ellis Warren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Hedden’s research focuses on how we should form beliefs and make decisions, and explores how philosophical thinking about rationality can provide insight into contemporary ethical issues, including the ethics of AI. He is the author of “Reasons Without Humans: Rationality, Identity, and Time” (Oxford University Press, 2015) and articles on topics such as problems of collective action, legal standards of evidence, algorithmic fairness, and political polarization.
Joining associate dean Nikos Trichakis, JC Penney Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Hedden will help lead SERC and advance the program’s ongoing research, teaching, and engagement efforts. He succeeds philosophy professor Caspar Hare, who is stepping down at the end of three years on September 1, 2025.
Since its inception in 2020, SERC has launched a series of programs and activities designed to cultivate responsible “habits of mind and action” among those who build and use computer technology, while promoting the development of technology in the public interest.
The SERC Scholars Program invites undergraduate and graduate students to work with postdoctoral advisors to explore different ethical challenges in computing. The program also hosts an annual awards competition that challenges MIT students to envision the future of computing, publishes an annual series of case studies, and participates in integrated curriculum materials, including active learning projects, homework assignments, and classroom demonstrations. In 2024, SERC launched a new seed grant program to support MIT researchers investigating the development of behavioral technologies; so far, two rounds of grants have been awarded to 24 projects.
