The Ontological and Epistemic Limits of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence - A Critical Analysis

Executive Summary As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly autonomous and pervasive, the question of whether they can genuinely incorporate ethical reasoning moves from theoretical philosophy to practical necessity. This white paper argues that significant ontological, computational, and epistemological limits make the realization of truly ethical AI profoundly challenging. While technical progress in alignment and safety is both possible and necessary, the aspiration to create artificial moral agents faces fundamental barriers that cannot be overcome through engineering alone. Ethical governance of AI must therefore remain firmly anchored in human responsibility.