Kritika Maheshwari
I’m an Assistant Professor in Ethics and Philosophy of Technology at Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) since May 2023.I work at the intersection of moral, political and legal philosophy.If you'd like to read a draft, connect, or chat about my work—feel free to get in touch.
RESEARCH
Published
2024. A Unificationist Approach to Wrongful Pure Risking2024. AI-Inclusivity in Healthcare: Motivating an Institutional Epistemic Trust Perspective2024. Introducing ELLIPS: an ethics-centered approach to research on LLM-based inference of psychiatric conditions2023. Why I should still offset rather than do more good2023. Review of X-Risk: How Humanity Discovered its own Extinction by Thomas Moynihan2022. Dominating Risk Impositions. Journal of Ethics2022. Freedom in times of Covid-19 in India: Reducing Risk or Increasing Domination?2022. Offsetting present risks, preempting future harm and the Ethics of New Normal2021. On the harm of imposing risk of harm2020. If now isn’t the most influential time ever, then when is? Longform Book Review of Toby Ord’s The Precipice2017. Precautionary Principle and the Problem of Counterproductivity
Waiting in the Pipeline
Edited volume (with Kevin Elliot): Risk, Precaution, and Participation: Philosophy of Kristin Schrader-Frachette for Springer Book Series by Society for Philosophy & Technology. (Under Contract)A co-authored paper on Deprivationist Arguments and Humanity's Potential (Under Review)A co-authored paper on Hatejacking and the Duty to Counterjack (Under Review)A paper on Compensation for Risk (Under Review)
Brewing in the Pipeline
A co-authored paper on the Ethics of Academic Spousal Hiring. (Draft)A paper on Deeply Deferential Algorithmic Agents and the Right to Human Decision (Draft)A paper on Perfectionism and Institutional Longtermism (Half a draft)A paper on the Risk-Harm Thesis in Torts (Draft)A paper on Risk & Dangerousness in Criminal Law (Outline)A co-authored paper on the Right to Fair Explanation Process (Draft)
Abandoned in the Pipeline
This list is embarrassingly long.
TEACHING
Courses Taught
Ethics of Technological Risks
Inclusion & Diversity for STEM
Scientific Integrity
Ethics & Engineering
Ethics of Responsible Innovation
Ethics of Healthcare Technologies
Water Ethics
Robots & Society
Guest Lectures
Philosophy of Risk – LMU Munich (2025)
Philosophy of Risk – Dutch Research School of Philosophy (2022, 2023, 2024)
Epistemic Harms & Risk Imposition – Wageningen University (2023)
Risks in Medical Ethics – University of Antwerp (2023)
PhD Supervision
PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY
Writing
Expert Response for AI Helpdesk Question (In Dutch): What are the chances that AI will lead us to doom?
Opinion Piece for Tefegraaf (In Dutch): Let's not exaggerate the threat of AI
Opinion Piece for Bij Nader Inzien (In Dutch): Existential Risks must be a priority for the new Dutch Cabinet)
Opinion Piece for Het Parool (In Dutch): Make digital maturity a priority
Talks and Panels
Speaker for the Night of Philosophy Groningen: Should AI Care?
Panelist for Sustainability Day (TU Delft): Future Generations at Risk
Panelist for Existential Risk Observatory (Pakhuis de Zwijger): AI existential risk and what to do about it
Panelist for Studium Generale (TU Delft): Doing Good: Check your charity with Effective Altruism
Thesis Public Pitch for Sustainable Society (University of Groningen): Is it morally wrong to expose others to risk of harm even if no one ever ends up harmed?
PROJECTS & INITIATIVES
Upcoming Conferences
I'm co-convening a MANCEPT Panel on Ethics of Academia (Co-convener) : 3-5th September 2025, University of Manchester
I'm organizing SAFI's 6th Annual Conference on Reimagining Justice (together with Hadassa Noorda)] : 9-10th October 2025, University of Amsterdam.
We've recently launched the first ever PPEL in the Global South Conference: 11-14th December 2025, Bengaluru (India). Check out our program!
Ongoing Project
Convergence Kick-Starter Grant (9 months) with Ben Mullins (EUR): Citizen's Assembly on Institutional Longtermism
SAFI Ambassador (Netherlands Chapter)
SAFI (Societas Aperta Feminarum in Iuris Theoria) is an interdisciplinary support network for women in legal academia. Since December 2024, I have joined as the local ambassador for the brand-new Netherlands Chapter.
UPDATES
Annalisa Costella and I are currently running a Daily Nous poll on Philosophy Departments as Sites of Collective Intellectual Activities: a Decline? until 15th of July 2025. Check it out!
Get in touch!
ABOUT ME
I defended my PhD at the University of Groningen in February 2023, with a dissertation on the ethics of risk imposition. My research was co-supervised by Dr. Andreas T. Schmidt and Dr. Sven Nyholm.Before starting my current role, I briefly worked as a Post-Doc at the University Medical Centre Groningen on the NWO-funded project "Human-Centered AI for an Inclusive Society: Toward an Ecosystem of Trust".I’m also a Research Affiliate at the Delft Digital Ethics Centre and a Research Fellow with the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technology (ESDiT) programme. In spring 2024, I was a visiting researcher at the Global Priorities Institute (University of Oxford). Earlier, I held a visiting fellowship at the Rutgers Institute for Law and Philosophy.
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I strongly believe in the collaborative spirit of academic work, and in dismantling its gatekeeping walls, one brick at a time. My approach to research and teaching is driven by practices of care and committment to equality.I’ve been lucky to find my way into academic philosophy in Europe, often against the odds. If you’re considering a similar path—especially from the Global South or a non-academic background—I’m always happy to share my experience or offer advice. Please don't hesitate to reach out.
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I go by Kritika (कृतिका)—which means creative in Sanskrit and critic in Latin (a curious case of nominative determinism, or so I’m frequently told). My pronouns are she/her.In a previous life, I trained as a chemist and earned my BSc from the University of Delhi, in the city where I grew up.Outside of academia, you'll find me collecting new books & hobbies, building community, plotting against the status quo, and chasing the sun over water wherever I can.
