Herd Ethics Lab

Herd Ethics Update
Herd Ethics is the applied framework built on the theory of Infrastructuralism, and the project has been growing much faster than anticipated, which is very good news. Because of this rapid development, the most up-to-date work is now being shared through individual papers rather than the original book.

For the latest research that directly supports the Herd Ethics lab, please visit:
https://zenodo.org/communities/herdethics

• Who Is the “Us” That AI Is Supposed to Kill?

  Rethinking AI alignment through spectrum-based agent classification (MAT) and shared infrastructure (Herd Ethics) This might sound like an odd question, but stay with me. For years, we’ve been told that artificial intelligence will eventually turn against us. From The Terminator to The Matrix to iRobot, the narrative is always the same: machines rise up, and humanity pays the price. But…

• Infrastructuralism

  This entry defines Infrastructuralism, the normative ethical theory on which Herd Ethics is built. It was first formalized by Ashton Campbell in 2025 and establishes the structural conditions under which moral judgment is possible. Infrastructuralism (defined and first formalized by Ashton Campbell, 2025) is a normative ethical theory that judges an action right or wrong…

• Survival is Morality

  Survival is Morality Ashton Campbell 1. The Floor Beneath All Value Humans have always experienced gravity. It keeps our feet on the ground, our coffee in the cup, and our bones from drifting into space. Yet for most of history, gravity was simply felt—not understood. It wasn’t until Isaac Newton, relatively late in the arc…

• Veil of Observation

  The Veil of Observation The Veil of Observation (VOO) is a diagnostic lens developed within the Herd Ethics framework. It allows any observer—human, alien, or artificial—to identify moral and systemic decay without needing to understand a system’s language, values, or intentions. Why It Matters Most ethical systems rely on emotions, shared norms, or presumed intent….

• The Stewardship of Cognitive Capital

  The Stewardship of Cognitive Capital: A Moral Framework for Justice in the Age of AI Ashton Campbell Note to Reader: Out of a desire to share this work in its original form, I have left this version unchanged. Future revisions will be clearly marked. Please be aware that since this was first written, both Herd…

• Core Moral Equation

  Core Moral Equation A (Agent) + I (Infrastructure) = V (Advantage)• A = any agent (human, AI, institution)• I = shared, non-excludable infrastructure (the herd)• V = realized advantage (health, cognition, power, survival) Chain of Moral Consequence In shorthand:ΔI < 0 (accumulating) ⇒ Viability Margin(A) ↓ ⇒ if VM ≤ 0 ⇒ A fails ⇒…