Duncan Purves

Duncan Purves is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Florida and holds the UF Research Foundation Professorship. His work focuses on ethical issues in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, predictive policing algorithms, and the ethical treatment of non-human animals. He currently leads an NSF-funded project analyzing the ethical dimensions of predictive policing systems.

His research interests span applied ethics, including:

• Ethical implications of autonomous weapons systems
• Wild animal welfare and environmental ethics
• Philosophical foundations of harm and well-being
• Interdisciplinary ethics of technology

Key projects include collaborative work with Ryan Jenkins on algorithmic fairness in criminal justice and NSF-funded investigations into predictive policing ethics. His publications address topics like algorithmic bias mitigation, the moral equality of combatants in autonomous warfare, and the philosophical analysis of harm.

Purves has presented widely on topics such as AI ethics, animal ethics, and climate justice at institutions including MIT, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Naval Postgraduate School. His work bridges theoretical philosophy with practical policy analysis in technology governance.