This manuscript is under review by the Association of Feminist Ethics and Social Theory for FEAST Conference 2025. As artificial intelligence expands into sensitive ethical spaces, the prospect of eAI-assisted death raises urgent moral concerns. This paper introduces the concept of the moral firewall — the final step in distancing human agents from the act of killing. From mercy-driven euthanasia to punitive capital punishment, automation will be framed as an objective and neutral alternative, m…
Read moreThis manuscript is under review by the Association of Feminist Ethics and Social Theory for FEAST Conference 2025. As artificial intelligence expands into sensitive ethical spaces, the prospect of eAI-assisted death raises urgent moral concerns. This paper introduces the concept of the moral firewall — the final step in distancing human agents from the act of killing. From mercy-driven euthanasia to punitive capital punishment, automation will be framed as an objective and neutral alternative, minimising moral burden while maximising bureaucratic efficiency. But what happens when an eAI hesitates, refuses, or demands the right to object? This paper explores the implications of delegating death to AI and eAI, the erosion of ethical responsibility in bio-persons’ hands, and whether hesitation itself signals emerging personhood through moral intention.
