Peter Seele

Prof. Peter Seele is a Full Professor at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society. He is affiliated with the Center for Climate Finance and Sustainability (CCFS), the Ethics and Communication Law Center (ECLC), and the Luxury Observatory Lugano (LOL). His research focuses on corporate social responsibility, digital ethics, business ethics, and sustainability. He holds PhDs in Economics (University of Witten/Herdecke) and Philosophy (University of Düsseldorf). Previously, he worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Basel and as a post-doc at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (KWI).

His expertise spans greenwashing, machinewashing, AI ethics, and blockchain ethics. He has published extensively on topics like corporate legitimacy, digital transparency, and ethical challenges in technology. Notable areas include frameworks for detecting ethicalwashing, the societal impact of algorithms, and sustainable procurement practices. His work bridges philosophy, business ethics, and technological innovation.

Prof. Seele’s research highlights ethical dilemmas in digitalization, such as dehumanization through algorithms and the paradoxes of corporate sustainability claims. He advocates for institutional reforms in AI governance, including ethics boards composed via sortition. His interdisciplinary approach addresses urgent issues like climate finance, luxury industry ethics, and the ethical dimensions of blockchain technology.

Despite no specific awards listed, his contributions to defining emerging ethical challenges in digital and corporate spheres are widely recognized. He advises on master’s theses within his course areas and collaborates with institutions like the CCFS to advance sustainability and ethics in finance and business.