Big Think

How ancient philosophers would shape AI | Brendan McCord

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Jun 4, 2025
Brendan McCord, a philosopher and AI researcher at Oxford, explores the profound implications of artificial intelligence on human existence. He discusses how AI transforms from a tool to a potential architect of our lives, raising questions about dependency and freedom. McCord highlights the risks of outsourcing our values to algorithms and the need for governance structures that protect rather than control us. He proposes a roadmap for a human-centered future focused on fostering individual potential rather than mere technological advancement.
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INSIGHT

AI Challenges Human Identity

  • Humanity has always been the smartest species but AI challenges our understanding of what it means to be human.
  • Previous scientific revolutions humbled human ego; AI pushes us back toward philosophy again.
INSIGHT

AI Changing Role of Technology

  • Technology historically served as a tool to extend human ends but AI can shape both means and ends of human actions.
  • Algorithms already influence what we consume and decide, showing AI's power beyond mere tools.
INSIGHT

Risks of Dependency on AI

  • AI risks substituting essential human capacities for convenience, leading us to offload thinking and decision-making.
  • This creates dependency on an intelligent overseer dictating thoughts and actions.
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