Ava Thomas Wright

Ava Thomas Wright serves as an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), with additional affiliation in the Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (CSSE). She is an active member of Cal Poly's Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group, which focuses on the implications of emerging technologies. Her work bridges philosophical inquiry with practical applications in artificial intelligence and ethics.

Education:

• Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Georgia
• M.S., Artificial Intelligence, University of Georgia
• M.A., Philosophy, Georgia State University
• J.D. cum laude, Georgia State University
• B.A., Philosophy and Psychology, Rice University

Professor Wright specializes in the intersection of AI ethics, Kantian philosophy, and social/political philosophy. Her research demonstrates a consistent focus on developing ethical frameworks for emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence systems. She examines how classical philosophical traditions, especially Kantian ethics, can inform contemporary debates about machine ethics, human-centered AI design, and the social implications of technological advancement. Her work uniquely combines technical understanding of AI with deep philosophical analysis.

Her publications from 2021-2025 reveal a clear trajectory toward establishing robust ethical foundations for AI development, with increasing emphasis on practical implementation. Wright's scholarship bridges continental philosophy (particularly Kant) with analytical approaches to machine ethics, creating a distinctive interdisciplinary perspective. She has made significant contributions to understanding how deontic logic can be applied to programming ethical machines and how Aristotelian virtue ethics might complement rule-based approaches to AI alignment.

Professor Wright is actively engaged in the academic community through numerous professional affiliations including the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), American Philosophical Association, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), International Association of Computing and Philosophy (IACAP), International Association for Safe and Ethical AI (IASEAI), International Society for Ethics and Information Technology (INSEIT), and the North American Kant Society. Her teaching portfolio includes courses on Ethics, Science and Technology; Political Philosophy; Philosophy of Law; and Philosophical Writing and Research, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach.

She is affiliated with Cal Poly's Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group and contributes to the university's Religious Studies program, demonstrating her commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship that addresses complex ethical questions at the intersection of technology, law, and society.