Dr Mark Howard

BA (Hons) (Monash), PhD (Monash)

Mark is a Research Fellow with the Philosophy Program at Monash University, part of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) in the research field of Ethics, Policy and Public Engagement (EPPE). In this role he is investigating the institutional practices relevant to social justice and the governance of implantable medical devices, and potential ethical responsibilities of manufacturers to the end users of these devices. A key milestone he is working toward is identifying the implications of new medical diagnostic systems (esp. artificial intelligence and machine learning) for access to health care and international aid policy. Of interest are the effects of transformative/disruptive technology on societal wellbeing. This includes considering the relevant sociotechnical systems and normative structures that impact on the design, deployment and use of hardware and software and how this contributes to social and political outcomes.

Mark specialises in political philosophy and applied ethics, and his teaching includes Human Rights Theory; Ethics of Global Conflict; and Digital Futures.  He also works in the ethics of new technologies, and along with Prof Robert Sparrow, applies this expertise to intelligent transport systems, social robotics and artificial intelligence and machine learning. Their recent research focuses on the radical implications of a driverless future, and robotics in agriculture, on public safety, the environment, social planning, transport and agriculture policy and social justice.  

His research in the field of new technologies and social justice focuses on alternative forms of participation in social and political institutions.