Autumn Term 2023: The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence

October 2023 - December 2023

In the past individuals sought information and assistance from other humans. Nowadays, many individuals turn instead to human-made devices (so-called ‘Artificial intelligence’ or ‘AI’). AI seems to be affecting how people conduct their daily life, and relate with others, in ways which previously might have seemed unimaginable.

The emergence and prevalence of AI raises diverse philosophical, ethical, political, and educational issues, such as: about the nature of AI; what AI might tell us about what it is to be human; what AI’s future capabilities might be; how AI might affect work, education, human relations; whether it is reasonable to view the development of AI as a threat to humanity or as a universal good; what laws (if any) should be put in place to control AI; and so forth.

In this 11-week course we shall grapple with some of these issues and explore the relevance of philosophy in our digital era.