TETHICON 2026: Tech & Ethics Student Research Conference

Please note that this event is in-person only, and RSVPs are requested to attend. Walk-ins are welcome.

Register now!

You are invited to TETHICON 2026: Tech & Ethics Student Research Conference!

This one-day event brings together students, faculty, and industry professionals to engage in thought-provoking discussions and deep dives into critical topics related to technology’s influence on society, such as policy, privacy, and creativity. See brand new original research from students in the Bay Area, hear from tech ethics researchers in industry and academia, and meet with others working in the field of technology and ethics.

Agenda

10:30–10:50 am | Registration & Coffee

10:50–11:00 am | Opening Remarks

11:00–12:00 pm | Invited Panel: Tech Ethics in Practice

An expert discussion on tech ethics research in the age of AI

12:15–1:00 pm | Lunch Keynote: Chloé Bakalar, AI Ethics Lead at OpenAI

Chloé Bakalar is the AI ethics lead and a member of the technical staff at OpenAI, where she focuses on advancing applied approaches to responsible, ethics-informed AI development and deployment. She was previously the chief ethicist at Meta, where she worked from 2019 to 2025. Drawing on years of experience embedding ethics into large-scale AI systems, her keynote will explore how tech ethics research translates into industry practice.

1:15–2:15 pm | Research Lightning Talks

Students will present research on AI policy, ethics, and society — covering topics including state and federal AI legislation, AI in mental healthcare and clinical decision-making, algorithmic surveillance, ethics education in CS, digital language inclusion, synthetic biology, and AI governance in academic libraries.

2:15–4:15 pm | Research Poster Presentations

Featured topics include: AI bias, accountability, and governance; ethics in CS education; clinical AI tools; surveillance and civil liberties; consumer technology; and more.

4:15–5:00 | Boba and Breakouts

Register by Tuesday, May 12 to receive a printed nametag.

This event will have a photographer present to document the event. No personal recordings (audio or visual) are allowed. By attending, you consent for your image to be used for Stanford-related promotions and materials. If you have any questions, please contact ethics-center [at] stanford.edu (ethics-center[at]stanford[dot]edu).

If you require disability-related accommodation, please contact disability.access [at] stanford.edu (disability[dot]access[at]stanford[dot]edu) as soon as possible or at least 7 business days in advance of the event.

See more information about visitor parking.

Learn more about the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society.