kielteis
Kielteis is a term used in speculative ethics and online discourse to describe a cautious, restraint-focused approach to action under uncertainty. It is not part of a formally recognized school of thought, but appears in discussions about decision-making in technology, governance, and risk management.
Origins of the term are informal, circulating in blogs and forums since the 2010s and 2020s. Proponents
Core principles include harm minimization, proportionality, and accountability. Kielteis emphasizes that interventions should be calibrated to
Applications are proposed in AI safety, public policy, and organizational ethics. In AI, kielteis might guide
Critics argue that kielteis can be vague, risk-averse to the point of paralysis, and hard to operationalize.
See also: harm minimization, precautionary principle, risk assessment, risk-averse ethics. The term is largely used descriptively