Youjin Kong (공유진)

Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Seoul National University, South Korea (서울대학교 철학과).

Previously, I served as an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Georgia and as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Oregon State University. I hold a PhD in Philosophy from Michigan State University and both an MA and BA in Philosophy from Seoul National University.

    Click here to view my latest CV.

Research

Located at the nexus of social-political philosophy, feminist philosophy, and ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), my research seeks to analyze and challenge social injustice through philosophical frameworks. My work focuses on two primary areas: 

• Responsible AI: I examine how AI systems perpetuate gender and racial injustice and develop philosophical frameworks to promote justice in socio-technical systems. My research critically analyzes the prevailing interpretations of fairness and intersectionality in the AI fairness literature (ACM FAccT 2022) and advocates for a paradigm shift toward "strong" fairness (APA Blog 2022). Currently, I am finalizing a paper proposing a multifaceted egalitarianism as the normative foundation for responsible AI, particularly in the context of text- and image-generation models.

• Social Identity and Oppression: I explore the nature and meaning of social identity (such as race, ethnicity, and gender), particularly how it is shaped by and shapes the power dynamics of oppression. My article in ERGO (2023) investigates the relationship between social identity and power, focusing on the experiences of Asian American women during COVID-19. Building on this, my chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Non-Ideal Theory (2024) conceptualizes social identity as a dynamic process of navigating power. I am currently working on a paper that interprets self-care practices of oppressed subjects as morally desirable responses to oppression. My scholarship in this area has been recognized with a Best Paper Prize from the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy.

Teaching

I teach a variety of courses in moral, social, and feminist philosophy, including those addressing ethical and social issues in AI. My commitment to creating active learning environments earned me a Teaching Excellence Award in 2019. Additionally, my passion for advancing AI ethics education led me to develop innovative interdisciplinary courses, recognized with an Outstanding Service Award in 2021.