Accelerating AI Ethics From Philosophy to Code: The Role of the Humanities in the AI Age
Nov 10, 2025
Brendan McCord, founder of the Cosmos Institute and former technologist with degrees from MIT and Harvard, delves into the intersection of philosophy and AI. He shares his journey from tech to philosophy and emphasizes the importance of teaching children to critically evaluate AI's expertise. Brendan advocates for a new breed of 'philosopher-builders' who integrate philosophical inquiries into technology. He warns against the dangers of outsourcing moral decisions to AI and calls for philanthropy to shape a humane approach as we advance into the AI age.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Raised In A Virtue Culture
- Brendan McCord describes being raised in a 'virtue culture' that instilled duty and public service from childhood.
- He later served as a submarine officer and pivoted to philosophy after founding and selling companies to order his life purpose.
Start Philosophy From Your Beliefs
- Write down what you truly believe to expose shallow, incoherent views and find a point of entry into philosophy.
- Start with the ancients and study in a group to gain depth and shared understanding.
Philosopher-Builders For Planetary Tech
- The 'philosopher-builder' is a new technologist who combines engineering skill with deep questioning of ends.
- Brendan argues builders must ask "what am I building for?" because AI now structures human thought at planetary scale.