Risk Ethics and Big Tech BusinessProf. Dr. Sven Ove Hansson, Uppsala University, SE

How are philosophers helping us understand and shape the ongoing transformations brought about by AI? The “Taming the Machines” lecture series brings together renowned thinkers to understand and evaluate how technological innovations are transforming European society.

Today, AI systems mediate everything from financial systems to creative expression. Applying for a loan? You are likely to be assessed through algorithmic processes. Want to bring an image in your mind come to life? People more and more turn to generative AI tools to craft a real-looking picture. Even in science, people use generative text tools to draft or edit texts – the consequences are still up in the air.

In the upcoming winter semester, we will hear from scholars who have dedicated their careers to interpreting these disruptions. An important theme is the less visible but profound ways technology mediates daily life—from finance to healthcare—and what this means for our lived experience. And as many interact with chatbots on a daily basis (also within science), we reflect on the ethical use and output of chatbots as well as the question whether such technologies can make moral decisions themselves. Moreover, as we are through major geopolitical shifts, we look at the position and role of Europe and how it ought to retain agency.

Public Lecture Series: Taming the Machine