Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group

What Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group does

Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group is a nonpartisan research and educational organization affiliated with California Polytechnic State University's Philosophy Department in San Luis Obispo, California. Founded in 2007, the group is led by Director Dr. Patrick Lin and Associate Director Dr. Ryan Jenkins and produces analytical research on the risk, ethical, and societal impacts of emerging technologies — principally AI, robotics, cybersecurity, space systems, human enhancement, and nanotechnology. Its outputs include published reports (e.g., Outer Space Cyberattacks, AI-Assisted Authorship, Enhanced Warfighters), two foundational edited volumes on robot ethics (MIT Press 2012, Oxford University Press 2017), and the ICARUS Matrix — a license-free scenario-prompt generator for space cybersecurity producing over 4 million unique scenarios.

The group's products are research deliverables, not commercial software. Distribution is via free public reports, academic publications, expert workshops, and direct briefings to government, military, and industry audiences. Core offerings include an international AI-kitchens/robot-cooks workshop series (Cal Poly, Prague, Vatican, Singapore), space-cybersecurity briefings to entities such as Vandenberg Space Force Base and Space ISAC, and policy work for NASA and the National Space Council Users' Advisory Group, where Dr. Lin serves as the sole ethicist.

The organization does not sell products or charge for services. It operates as a grant-funded non-profit with primary funding from the US National Science Foundation (including a $700,000 award for the 2022-2026 AI kitchens project and the first-ever NSF space-cybersecurity grant), the US Office of Naval Research (autonomous military robotics, 2009), and The Greenwall Foundation (Enhanced Warfighters, 2013). Strategic institutional partners include Stanford University, the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, and the CETMONS consortium. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group

Legal name

Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group

Website

https://ethics.calpoly.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group is a nonpartisan Cal Poly–affiliated think tank that researches the ethical, risk, and policy implications of emerging technologies including AI, robotics, cybersecurity, space systems, human enhancement, and nanotechnology for government, military, and academic audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Ethics Research and Policy Consulting

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science) (EDAGABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education, Research & Academic Congresses (THAHAJAD), Research Compliance & Ethics Audits (Academic Institutions) (EDADAGAN)

Keywords

• Technology ethics research
• AI ethics analysis
• Policy consulting
• Emerging technology assessment
• Academic research reports

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Obispo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group is a non-partisan academic research organization that produces ethical, legal, and social impact analysis of emerging sciences and technologies. It delivers research reports, scholarly books, expert workshops, briefings, and policy consulting for government agencies, military organizations, and academic institutions, covering topics such as AI ethics, robotics, cybersecurity, space systems, human enhancement, and nanotechnology.

Product overview

Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group is a non-partisan academic research organization based at Cal Poly that produces ethical analysis of emerging technologies. The organization does not offer a commercial product but rather provides a portfolio of research outputs including published reports (such as Outer Space Cyberattacks, Space Data Ethics, AI-Assisted Authorship, Ethics of Hacking Back, and Autonomous Military Robotics), expert workshops on topics like AI kitchens/robot cooks and space cybersecurity, and scholarly books on robot ethics. The ICARUS Matrix represents their primary downloadable tool—a scenario-prompt generator for space cybersecurity with over 4 million possible combinations. The organization focuses on risk, ethical, and social impact analysis across focus areas including robotics/AI, AI kitchens, predictive policing, cyberwarfare, space cybersecurity, space exploration, human enhancement, and nanotechnology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Reports and Publications Academic reports addressing ethical, social, and policy implications of emerging technologies including robotics, AI, cybersecurity, human enhancement, and space ethics. Examples include Outer Space Cyberattacks (2024), AI-Assisted Authorship (2023), Space Data Ethics, Ethics of Hacking Back, Autonomous Military Robotics, Enhanced Warfighters, and Ethics of Human Enhancement. Targeted at government agencies, policymakers, and academic audiences.
• ICARUS Matrix (Scenario-Prompt Generator) A taxonomy and scenario-prompt generator tool for outer space cybersecurity capable of creating over 4 million unique scenario-prompts. Available as downloadable Excel and PDF files for license-free, royalty-free use by researchers and practitioners.
• Expert Workshops and International Conferences Organized workshops and conferences on technology ethics topics including AI kitchens and robot cooks (held at Cal Poly, Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Pontifical Academy for Life at the Vatican, and upcoming at NTU Singapore in 2026), outer space cybersecurity (Stanford University), autonomous vehicles ethics, cyberwarfare ethics, and Arctic conflicts.
• Robot Ethics Book Series Edited scholarly volumes on robot and AI ethics including 'Robot Ethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Robotics' (MIT Press, 2012) and 'Robot Ethics 2.0: From Autonomous Cars to Artificial Intelligence' (Oxford University Press, 2017), representing the first volumes of their kind in the field.
• AI-Assisted Authorship Credit Framework A principles framework for determining when AI writers should be credited for contributions to scholarly work, examining continuity and creditworthiness considerations in synthetic scholarship.
• Policy Consulting and Advisory Services Consulting and advisory services for governments, military organizations, and other institutions on ethical, risk, and policy issues arising from emerging technologies. Dr. Patrick Lin serves as the only ethicist on the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group in this capacity.
• Lecture Series and Briefings Lecture series and briefings delivered to academic, government, military, and industry audiences on technology ethics topics, including engagements at Cal Poly Advanced Technologies Lab, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space ISAC, International Space Development Conference, National Academies of Sciences, and Food AI Summit at UC Berkeley.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Stanford University (CISAC and Hoover Institution)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized expert workshops on outer space cybersecurity at Stanford University. Collaborated on scenario development and policy analysis for space cybersecurity research.
• Pontifical Academy for Life (Vatican)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized third workshop on AI kitchens and robot cooks at the Vatican (May 2025). Hosts international workshop series on ethical implications of food technology.
• Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizing fourth workshop on AI kitchens and robot cooks at NTU in Singapore (May 2026). International collaboration on food technology ethics.
• Czech Academy of Sciences (CETE-P)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized second workshop on AI kitchens and robot cooks at the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague (May 2024). European partner for ethics research.
• NASA / National Space Council Users Advisory GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Patrick Lin serves as the only ethicist on the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group. Authored space data ethics position paper for NASA and NSpC.
• Consortium for Emerging Technologies, Military Operations, and National Security (CETMONS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional membership with executive board participation. Consortium focuses on military and national security issues arising from emerging technologies including nanotechnology, neurotechnology, robotics, and cyberweapons.
• Cal Poly Philosophy DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome department providing institutional support, faculty, and resources for the ethics group research activities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group