It's now possible, with the right set of training data, for anyone to create a digital copy of anyone. Some people have already done this as part of research projects, and employers are proposing to do it for employees. What are the ethics of this practice? Should you ever consent to having a digital copy made? What are the benefits and harms of doing so? In a new paper with Sven Nyholm, we propose a minimally viable permissibility principle for the creation and use of digital duplicates. Overall, we think there are significant risks associated with the creation of digital duplicates and tha ..read more

I was recently a co-author on a paper about anticipatory governance and genome editing. The lead author was Jon Rueda, and the others were Seppe Segers, Jeroen Hopster, Belén Liedo, and Samuela Marchiori. It's available open access here on the Journal of Medical Ethics website. There is a short (900 word) summary available on the JME blog. Here's a quick teaser for it:   "Transformative emerging technologies pose a governance challenge. Back in 1980, a little-known academic at the University of Aston in the UK, called David Collingridge, identified the dilemma that has come to ..read more

In the world of literary non-fiction, John McPhee is a god. Through his New Yorker essays, and prize-winning books McPhee has mastered the art of narrative non-fiction. In fact, he pretty much invented the genre. He has many fans; many of whom are themselves well-known writers. They gush about his capacity to make the most turgid-sounding topics -- oranges, boats, plate tectonics -- fascinating explorations of people, culture, science and history. Ironically, I have never warmed to him. I've tried. Honestly, I've tried. I have started reading several of his books, each time hoping I would ..read more

I've been quiet for a while. I know. But here's something to fill the gap: an interview I did for the Network Capital Podcast hosted by Utkarsh Amitabh. It covers a bit of everything: who I am; why I became an academic; whether academia is an ethical career choice; my views on effective altruism; themes from automation and utopia; and some thoughts on the ethics of sex robots. Video version is embedded above. If you prefer audio, check out the link below: https://open.spotify.com/episode/36c0WFTFJDBckdA68z8PJv Subscribe to the newsletter ..read more

In May 2023, the well-known philosopher Daniel Dennett wrote an op-ed for The Atlantic decrying the creation of counterfeit digital people. In it, he called for a total ban on the creation of such artifacts, arguing that those responsible for their creation should be subject to the harshest morally permissible legal punishments (not death, to be clear, since Dennett does not see that as legitimate). It's not entirely clear what prompted Dennett's concern, but based on his memoir (I've Been Thinking) it's possible that part of his unease stemmed from his own experiences with the DigiDan pro ..read more

The 'sex scene' from Demolition Man (This article was originally commissioned for the Wired Ideas column, but due to delays on my part, and the subsequent discontinuation of that column (as I understand it) it never appeared. Rather than consign it to the dustbin of history, I have decided to publish it here. Obviously, given the intended audience for the original piece, it is a bit shorter and snappier than most of the things I write). As ever, science fiction got there first. In the largely forgettable 1993 action movie, Demolition Man, two characters from the 1990s, a hard ..read more

St Anselm (allegedly) The ontological argument for the existence of God is remarkably resilient. Originally formulated by Anselm of Canterbury in the late 11th century, it has been continuously debated, reformulated, critiqued and resurrected over the subsequent millennium. Very few philosophers find it, or its descendants, convincing; most think it must be wrong in some way; but many concede that it is hard to pinpoint exactly what is wrong with it. In this article, I want to examine Anselm’s original argument in some detail. I will do so by first formulating what I believe to be ..read more

In this episode, John and Sven answer questions from podcast listeners. Topics covered include: the relationships between animal ethics and AI ethics; religion and philosophy of tech; the analytic-continental divide; the debate about short vs long-term risks; getting engineers to take ethics seriously and much much more. Thanks to everyone that submitted a question. You can download the episode here or listen below. You can also subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon and a range of other podcasting services. Subscribe to the newsletter ..read more

What does the future hold for humanity's relationship with technology? Will we become ever more integrated with and dependent on technology? What are the normative and axiological consequences of this? In this episode, Sven and John discuss these questions and reflect, more generally, on technology, ethics and the value of speculation about the future. You can download the episode here or listen below. You can also subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon and a range of other podcasting services. Recommended Reading Mark Coeckelbergh The Poli ..read more

In this episode Sven and John discuss the moral status of machines, particularly humanoid robots. Could machines ever be more than mere things? Some people see this debate as a distraction from the important ethical questions pertaining to technology; others take it more seriously. Sven and John share their thoughts on this topic and give some guidance as to how to think about the nature of moral status and its significance. You can download the episode here or listen below. You can also subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon and a range of other ..read more