Veljko Dubljevic PhD

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Bio

Veljko Dubljević, Ph.D., D.Phil., University Faculty Scholar and Professor of Philosophy and STS (Science, Technology and Society) at NC State University, leads the NeuroComputational Ethics Research Group. He is the Editor in Chief of American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience, series co-editor for “Advances in Neuroethics,” and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Neuroethics Society. He is a prolific author in Neuroethics and Ethics of AI, having published over 90 peer-reviewed articles, and four books.

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/neuroethics-group

Teaching and Research Interests

My research focuses on the cognitive neuroscience of ethics as well as ethics of neurotechnology and AI.

Teaching at NC State:

• MALS 501 Seminar in Liberal Studies
• PHI 347 Neuroscience and Philosophy
• PHI 214 Issues in Business Ethics
• PHI 325 Bio-Medical Ethics
• STS 403 Seminar in Science, Technology and Society

Projects

I am serving as the co-editor for the book series Advances in Neuroethics (http://www.springer.com/series/14360)  and Editor-in-Chief of American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience (https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uabn20/11/2). Also, since 2017, I am part of EthOS, the campus-wide study group on ethics of AI.

Ongoing research projects reviewed by NC State IRB:

9362 The ADC of moral judgment

9484 Moral Judgment and Psychological Traits

12544 Moral Intuition and Frontal-Lobe Pathology

20276 Sociotechnical Principles for Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles and other AI Technologies

17933 Adapting the ADC Model for Use In the Study of Adolescent Morality

22375 Assessing the Harms and Benefits of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment

Funded Research

(PI) NCSU RISF grant ‘Embodied Social AI: Personal Robots for Aging at Home’ 2024 ($94,000)

(PI) Data Science Academy Seed Grant ‘RAISE: Researchers in AI for Safety and Ethics’ 2023 ($25,837)

(PI) NSF CAREER “Virtual Reality simulations of moral decision making for Autonomous Vehicles” 2021 ($571,425)

(PI) NCSU Faculty Fellowship “Public Science” 2020 ($4,000)

(Co-PI) NCSU Rabb Science & Society grant “Embedding AI in Society” 2020 ($10,000)

(Senior Scientist) NSF RAISE grant “Developing Intelligent Technologies for Workforce Empowerment 2019 ($985,485)

(PI) NCSU Faculty RISF grant “Sociotechnical Principles for Ethics of AI” 2019 ($38,174)

(PI) NC State University Faculty Research and Professional Development grant 2018 ($4,000)

(PI) NC State University seed grant 2016 ($5,000)

Publications

Books

Coin, A. & Dubljević, V. (Eds.) (2023): Policy, Identity, and Neurotechnology: The Neuroethics of Brain-Computer Interfaces, Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-26801-4

Dubljević, V. and Bottenberg, F. (Eds.) (2021): Living with Dementia: Neuroethical Issues and International Perspectives, Cham, Switzerland: Springer/Nature: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783030620721

Dubljević, V. (2019): Neuroethics, Justice and Autonomy: Public Reason in the Cognitive Enhancement Debate, in Springer Book Series “The International Library of Ethics, Law and Technology”, Heidelberg: Springer: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783030136420#aboutBook

Jotterand, F. and Dubljević, V. (Eds.) (2016): Cognitive Enhancement: Ethical and Policy Implications in International Perspectives, New York: Oxford University Press:

https://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199396818.001.0001/acprof-9780199396818

Peer-Reviewed Papers​​​​​​​

Bottenberg, F. & Dubljević, V. (2022): Ethical and Social Issues in Dementia Care, in Dementia and Memory: Introduction for Professionals in Health and Human Services edited by Thomas J. Farrer, Elise K. Eifert, Hoboken NJ: Wiley, pp. 5-19.

Edgren, N. & Dubljević, V. (2022): The Ubiquity of the Fallacy of Composition in Cognitive Enhancement and in Education, Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 44: 41-56.

Schneider, E. & Dubljević, V. (2022): Building a Better Beast: Enhancing the Minds of Animals, in Dederer, H.G. & Hamburger, D. (Eds.): Brain Organoids in Research and Therapy, pp. 223-39.

Scheper, A., Rosenfeld, C. & Dubljević, V. (2022): The Public Impact of Academic and Print Media Portrayals of TMS: Shining a Spotlight on Discrepancies in the Literature, BMC Medical Ethics, https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12910-022-00760-5.

Presley, A., Samsa, L.A. & Dubljević, V. (2022): Media Portrayal of Ethical and Social Issues in Brain Organoid Research, Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13010-022-00119-z.

Cacace, S., Simons-Rudolph, J. & Dubljević, V. (2022): Morality, Risk-taking and Psychopathic Tendencies: An Empirical Study. Frontiers in Psychology, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834734

Coates McCall, I. & Dubljević, V. (2022): Advances in Ethics for the Neuroscience Agenda, in Zigmond, M., et al. (Eds.) Neurobiology of Brain Disorders, 2^nd Edition, Elsevier, pp.1025-46.

Dubljević, V. & Bauer, W.A. (2022): Autonomous Vehicles and Basic Structure of Society, in Jenkins, R., Cerny, D. & Hrybek, T. (Eds.): Autonomous Vehicles Ethics, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, pp. 295-319.

Noble, S.M. & Dubljević, V. (2022): Ethics of AI in Organizations, in Nam, C.S & Lyons, J. (Eds.): Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Cambridge MA: Academic Press, pp. 221-240.

Dubljević, V., Young, J.R. & Appelbaum, L.G. (2021): Diversifying the Bioethics Funding Landscape: The case of TMS, American Journal of Bioethics 22(1): 28-30.

Dubljević, V., List, G, Milojevich, J, Ajmeri, N, Bauer, WA, Singh MP, et al. (2021): Toward a Rational and Ethical Sociotechnical System of Autonomous Vehicles: A Novel Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis. PLoS ONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0256224.

Dubljević, V. & Neupert, S.(2021):The Complex Nature of Willpower and Conceptual Mapping of its Normative Significance in Research on Stress, Addiction and Dementia, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X20000886.

Dubljević, V. (2021):The Normative Implications of Recent Empirical Neuroethics Research on Moral Intuitions,Neuroethics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-021-09465-9.

Dubljević, V. Trettenbach, K & Ranisch, R.(2021):The Socio-Political Roles of Neuroethics and the Case of Klotho, target article in American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience, https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2021.1896597.

Dubljević, V. & Bauer, W.A.(2021):Autonomous Vehicles and Basic Structure of Society, in Jenkins, R., Cerny, D. & Hrybek, T. (Eds.): Autonomous Vehicles Ethics, Oxford UP, In Press.

Dubljević, V., Cacace, S. & Desmarais, S.(2021):Surveying Ethics: A Measurement Model of Preference for Precepts Implied in Moral Theories (PPIMT), Review of Philosophy and Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-021-00530-z.

Nair, A. & Dubljević, V. (2021): Public Representation of Social and Ethical Issues in Frontotemporal Dementia,in Dubljević,V. and Bottenberg, F. (Eds.): Living with Dementia: Neuroethical Issues and International Perspectives, Cham: Springer/Nature, pp. 109-129.

Dubljević, V. (2020): Toward Implementing the ADC Model of Moral Judgment in Autonomous Vehicles, Science & Engineering Ethics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-020-00242-0 : https://rdcu.be/b5sXZ.

Coin, A. &Dubljević, V. (2020): The Authenticity of Machine-Augmented Human Intelligence: Therapy, Enhancement,
and the Extended Mind, Neuroethics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-020-09453-5.

Coin, A., Mulder, M. & Dubljević, V. (2020): Ethical Aspects of BCI Technology: What is the State of the Art? Philosophies,doi:10.3390/philosophies5040031

Coates McCall, I., McIntosh, T. & Dubljević, V. (2020) How Public Opinion Can Inform Cognitive Enhancement Regulation, AJOB Neuroscience, 11(4): 245-247.

Dubljević, V. (2020): The Principle of Autonomy and Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-020-09972-z.

Ouchchy, L., Coin, A. &Dubljević, V. (2020): AI in the headlines: The portrayal of the ethical issues of artificial intelligence in the media, AI & Society, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-00965-5.

Menconi, M & Dubljević, V. (2020): Ethical Issues in Neuropsychopharmacotherapy, in Riederer, P., Laux, G., Le, W. & Nagatsu, T. (Eds.): NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy, Springer/Nature, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_380-1.

Coin, A. & Dubljević, V. (2020): Carebots for Eldercare: Technology, Ethics, and Implications, in Nam, C.S. & Lyons, J. (Eds.): Trust in Human-Robot Interactions, Elsevier, pp. 553-569.

Dubljević, V. (2020): Disease and wellness across the lifespan: A global perspective on mental health burden of dementia, in Stein, D. & Singh, I. (Eds.): Global Mental Health and Neuroethics, Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, pp. 225-235.

Bauer, W.A. & Dubljević, V. (2019):AI Assistants and the Paradox of Internal Automaticity, Neuroethics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-019-09423-6.

Dubljević, V., Coates McCall, I. & Illes, J. (2019): Neuroenhancement at work: Addressing the ethical, legal and social implications, in Trempe-Martineau, J. & Racine, E. (Eds.): Organizational Neuroethics, Chem, Switzerland: Springer, pp. 87-103.

Scheper, A. & Dubljević, V. (2019): Neuroconsumerism and Comprehensive Neuroethics, American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience, 10(4):185-187.

Dubljević, V. (2019): Public Reason and Reasonable Conceptions of Justice, Sofia Philosophical Review, 12(1): 24-46.

Dubljević, V. & Racine E. (2019): Pediatric neuroenhancement, best interest and autonomy: A case of normative reversal, in Nagel, S. (Ed.): Shaping Children: Ethical and Social Questions That Arise When Enhancing the Young, Heidelberg, Germany: Springer, pp. 199-212.

Dubljević, V., Sattler, S., & Racine E. (2018): Deciphering moral intuition: How agents, deeds and consequences influence moral judgment, PLOS One, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204631.

Dubljević, V. (2018): Toward an improved Multi-Criteria Drug Harm Assessment process and evidence-based drug policies, Frontiers in Pharmacology, doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00898.

Dubljević, V. & Ranisch, R. (2018): Moral enhancement – and the opposite: Making people more (or less) moral, eLS, Chichester, UK: Wiley, doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0027993.

Saigle, V., Dubljević, V. & Racine, E. (2018): The impact of a landmark neuroscience study on free will: A qualitative analysis of articles using Libet et al.’s methods, Target Article: American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience, 9(1): 29-41.

Racine E. & Dubljević, V. (2017): Neuroscience and Socio-environmental Determinants of Moral Agency: Threat or Empowerment? In Illes, J. (Ed.): Neuroethics: Anticipating the Future, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, pp. 388-410. 

Bryan, H. & Dubljević, V. (2017): To Disclose or Not to Disclose: When Fear of Nocebo Effects Infringes Upon Autonomy, American Journal of Bioethics 17 (6): 50-52. 

Dubljević, V. & Racine, E. (2017): Moral Enhancement Meets Normative and Empirical Reality: Assessing the Practical Feasibility of Moral Enhancement Neurotechnology, Bioethics 31 (5): 338-348.

Dubljević, V. (2017): Is it Time to Abandon the Strong Interpretation of the Dual Process Model in Neuroethics? in Racine, E & Aspler, J. (Eds.): Debates about Neuroethics: Perspectives on its Development, Focus, and Future, Heidelberg, Germany: Springer, 129-140.

Racine, E., Ngyen, V., Saigle, V. & Dubljević, V. (2017): Media Portrayal of a Landmark Neuroscience Experiment on Free Will, Science & Engineering Ethics, 23 (4): 989-1007.

Voarino, N., Dubljević, V. & Racine E. (2017): tDCS for Memory Enhancement: A Critical Analysis of the Speculative Aspects of Ethical Issues, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, DOI: DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00678

Racine, E., Dubljević, V., Jox, R., Baertschi, B., Christensen, J.F., Farisco, M., Jotterand, F., Kahane, G. & Müller, S. (2017): Can Neuroscience Contribute to Practical Ethics? A Critical Review and Discussion of the Methodological and Translational Challenges of the Neuroscience of Ethics, Bioethics 31(5): 328-337.

Dubljević, V. (2016): Autonomy is Political, Pragmatic and Post-metaphysical: A Reply to Open Peer Commentaries on ‘Autonomy in Neuroethics’, AJOB – Neuroscience, 7(4): W1-3.

Dubljević, V., Saigle, V. & Racine E. (2016): The Bright Future of Neuroethics, Neuroethics, DOI 10.1007/s12152-016-9263-x

Dubljević, V. (2016): Enhancement with Modafinil: Benefiting or Harming the Society?, in Jotterand, F. and Dubljević, V. (Eds.): Cognitive Enhancement: Ethical and Policy Implications in International Perspectives, New York: Oxford University Press: 259-274.

Racine, E. and Dubljević, V. (2016): Neuroethics: Neuroscience and Society, Oxford Handbooks Online – Philosophy. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935314.013.46

Racine, E. and Dubljević, V. (2016): Porous or Contextualized Autonomy: Knowledge can Empower Autonomous Moral Agents, commentary on Morar & Beaver, American Journal of Bioethics, 16 (2): 48-50.

Dubljević, V. (2015): Neurostimulation devices for cognitive enhancement: Toward a comprehensive regulatory framework, Neuroethics, 8 (2): 115-126.

Dubljević, V. (2015): Lost in Interpretation: Autonomy and What Patients Tell vs. What is Inferred, commentary on Kelley et al. American Journal of Bioethics, 15 (9): 28-30.

Dubljević, V. (2015): Regulation of Cognition Enhancement Drugs and Public Reason, in Ranisch, R., Schuol, S. and Rockoff, M. (Eds.): Human Self-design with Biotechnology, (Tübingen Studies in Ethics) Tübingen: Francke Attempto Verlag: 289-304.

Dubljević, V., Venero, C.  & Knafo, S. (2015): What is Cognitive Enhancement?, in Knafo, S. & Venero, C. (Eds.): Cognitive Enhancement, Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press: 1-9.

Dubljević, V., Ryan, C.J. (2015): Cognitive enhancement with methylphenidate and modafinil: Conceptual advances and societal implications, Neuroscience and Neuroeconomics, 4: 25-33.

Dubljević, V. (2015): Cognitive Enhancement: A Glance at the Future and Ethical Considerations, in Knafo, S. & Venero, C. (Eds.): Cognitive Enhancement, Amsterdam: Elsevier: 343-365.

Dubljević, V. and Racine, E. (2014): A Single Cognitive Heuristic Process Meets the Complexity of Domain-Specific Moral Heuristics, commentary on Cimpian & Salomon Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 37 (5): 487-488.

Dubljević, V. and Racine, E. (2014): The ADC of Moral Judgment: Opening the Black Box of Moral Intuitions with Heuristics about Agents, Deeds and Consequences, Target Article: AJOB – Neuroscience, 5 (4): 3-20.

Dubljević, V., Saigle, V., and  Racine E. (2014): The Rising Tide of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in the Media and Academic Literature, Neuron, 82: 731-736.

Dubljević, V. (2014): Response to Open Peer Commentaries on “Prohibition or Coffee-shops: Regulation of Amphetamine and Methylphenidate for Enhancement Use by Healthy Adults” (response to 11 published Commentaries), American Journal of Bioethics, 14 (1): W1-W8.

Dubljević, V., Sattler, S. and Racine, E. (2014): Cognitive Enhancement and Academic Misconduct: A Study Exploring Their Frequency and Relationship, Ethics & Behavior, 24 (5): 408-420.

Racine, E., Bell, E., Yan, A., Andrew, G., Bell, L.E., Clarke, M., Dubljević, V. et al. (2014): Ethics Challenges of Transition from Paediatric to Adult Health Care Services for Young Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Pediatrics & Child Health, 19 (2): 65-68.

Dubljević, V. (2014): How Neuroethics differs from Bioethics, and does it matter?, in Franeta, D.   & Protopapadakis, A. (Eds.): Primenjena etika, Novi Sad: Mediterran, pp. 52-85.

Dubljević, V. (2013): Autonomy in Neuroethics: Political and not Metaphysical; Target Article: AJOB – Neuroscience, 4 (4): 44-51.

Dubljević, V. (2013): Prohibition or Coffee-shops: Regulation of Amphetamine and Methylphenidate for Enhancement Use by Healthy Adults, Target Article: American Journal of Bioethics 13 (7): 23-33.

Bell, E., Dubljević, V. and Racine, E. (2013): Nudging Without Ethical Fudging: Clarifying Physician Obligations to Avoid Ethical Compromise, commentary on Cohen American Journal of Bioethics 13 (6): 18-19.

Dubljević, V. and Racine, E. (2013): Judging Deeds not Psychopaths, commentary on Gilbert AJOB – Neuroscience, 4 (2): 33-34.

Dubljević, V. (2013): Cognitive Enhancement, Rational Choice and Justification, Neuroethics 6 (1): 179-187.

Ranisch, R., Garofoli, D. and Dubljević, V. (2013): ’Clock shock’, Motivational Enhancement and Performance Maintenance in Adderall Use, commentary on Vrecko AJOB – Neuroscience, 4 (1): 13-14.

Dubljević, V. (2012): Toward a Legitimate Public Policy on Cognition-Enhancement Drugs, AJOB – Neuroscience, 3 (3): 29-33.

Dubljević, V. (2012): Principles of Justice as the Basis for Public Policy on Psychopharmacological Cognitive Enhancement, Law, Innovation and Technology, 4 (1): 67-83.

Dubljević, V. (2012): How to Understand Rawls’s Law of Peoples, Studies in Social and Political Thought, 20 (1): 85-105.

Dubljević, V. (2012): The Difference Between Justice and Legitimacy as the Basis for an Interpretation of Rawls’ Law of Peoples, Političke perspektive, 4 (1): 45-71.

Dubljević, V. (2011): Morality, Religion and the Political Culture of Tolerance, Religion and Tolerance, 9 (16): 245-256;

Dubljević, V. (2011): Habermas’s Criticism of “Justice as Fairness” and Rawls’s Distinction of Four Roles for Political Philosophy, Nauka i politika, 5 (2): 195-204.

Dubljević, V. (2010): Discourse Ethics of Jürgen Habermas in Relation to Contemporary Science, Interdisciplinarnost i jedinstvo savremene nauke, 4 (2): 133-142.

Dubljević, V. (2010): The Formulation and Reformulation of Rawls’s Idea of Public Reason, Pravni život, 14: 737-758.

Dubljević, V. (2010): The Application of Utilitarian Analysis; Poslovna ekonomija, 2 (1): 151-167.

Dubljević, V. (2010): The Application of Categorical Imperative, in Evropska zajednica naroda i univerzalne vrednosti, Novi Sad: NATEF, pp. 127-147.

Dubljević, V. (2009): The Philosophy of Law of Jürgen Habermas, Pravni život, 12: 595-609.

Dubljević, V. (2009): Legitimacy and the Economic Model of Pluralist Democracy; Poslovna ekonomija, 1 (2): 200-218.

Dubljević, V. and Jovanović, A.: Students’ handbook for university entrance exam, Sremska Kamenica: Educons University Press (three editions: 2007, 2008 and 2009).

Dubljević, V. (2008): How to Interpret Habermas’ Critique of “Justice as Fairness”, Pravni život, 10: 335-356.

Dubljević, V. (2007): The Application of “Justice as Fairness” through Notions of the Rational and the Reasonable, Pravni život, 8: 399- 414.

Dubljević, V. (2006): Organizational Justice; Žurnal za sociologiju, 4 (1): 76- 85.

Dubljević, V. (2002): Morality and Religion; in Religije Balkana: iskustva i perpektive, Begrade: Belgrade Open School, pp. 180-183.

Dubljević, V. (2001): Socrates; in Filozofija – problemski pristup, Novi Sad: SSFF, pp. 34- 44.

Dubljević, V. (2001): Philosophy and Modern Science, in Filozofija – problemski pristup, Novi Sad: SSFF, pp. 140-143.

Dubljević, V. (2001): Problems in Methodology of Teaching Philosophy; in Filozofija – problemski pristup, Novi Sad: SSFF, pp. 206- 210.

Blogs:

Moral Enhancement is Science Fiction, not Science Fact, Scientific American https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/moral-enhancement-is-science-fiction-not-science-fact/

An interesting time for the study of moral judgment; http://icog.group.shef.ac.uk/an-interesting-time-for-the-study-of-moral-judgment-and-cognition/

How (not) to argue about cognitive enhancement; http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2013/09/how-not-to-argue-about-cognitive-enhancement-by-veljko-dubljevic.html

How to regulate cognition enhancement drugs?;  http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2013/09/how-to-regulate-cognition-enhancement-drugs-by-veljko-dubljevic.html

How to model indirect coercion to use cognitive enhancement?; http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2013/09/how-to-model-indirect-coercion-to-use-cognitive-enhancement-by-veljko-dubljevic.html

How to regulate Ritalin and Adderall; http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2013/09/how-to-regulate-ritalin-and-adderall-by-veljko-dubljevic.html

Is the Economic Disincentives Model too conservative?; http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2013/09/is-the-economic-disincentives-model-too-conservative-by-veljko-dubljevic.html

Is the Economic Disincentives Model too permissive?; http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2013/09/is-the-economic-disincentives-model-too-permissive-by-veljko-dubljevic.html

Does the Economic Disincentives Model fail to address the right issues?; http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2013/09/does-the-economic-disincentives-model-fail-to-address-the-right-issues-by-veljko-dubljevic.html

How can the public policy on cognitive enhancement be improved? http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2013/09/how-can-the-public-policy-on-cognitive-enhancement-be-improved-by-veljko-dubljevic.html

Area(s) of Expertise

Neuroethics; Ethics of AI; Neurophilosophy.