Thesis Development: Advisor Meeting #1

As I navigate the final semester of my MSc at the University of Edinburgh, I confront the challenge of developing a thesis that synthesizes two years of study while contributing original thinking to AI Ethics scholarship. The difficulty isn’t from self-doubt, but from the complexity of committing to a single, representative theme.

Initial Concept Evolution

My original thesis direction focused on the ethical implications of AI for creative professionals --- a topic I still consider important. However, concurrent coursework and career progression sparked a new conceptual direction: “Ethics as a Skillset.” This reframed approach became the focus of my advisor meeting.

Two Crucial Decisions

First Decision: Poly-Ethical Approach

My advisor validated the concept while redirecting the methodology. Rather than grounding the work in Aristotelean virtue ethics, I adopted a poly-ethical approach, focusing on creating a decision-making methodology rather than teaching some codified moral theory. This shift addresses a critical vulnerability: ethics risks politicization and dismissal as ideologically motivated, regardless of intent.

Second Decision: Minimum Viable Product Strategy

Instead of proposing an entire curriculum, my advisor encouraged focus on a single, detailed learning module that demonstrates proof-of-concept. This MVP approach prioritizes substance over breadth, building credibility through specificity.

Refined Framework

I developed a specific learning module called “Ethical Debugging” --- a system for identifying (and fixing) different ethical vectors, much like bug vectors in software development. The revised thesis title reflects this evolution: “Ethics as a Skill Set: Shifting from Compliance to Competence.”

The core insight from this meeting: the thesis must facilitate action-oriented decision-making rather than judgment-laden choices, integrating business tools with ethical frameworks.