Philosophers Speak: Professor Sebo on AI

On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Chancellor’s Suite, the Philosophy Department and the Dean’s Office of the College of Arts and Sciences will host its next lecturer. This lecture brings to campus Jeff Sebo, associate professor of Environmental Studies at New York University.

In his talk titled, “Taking AI Sentience Seriously,” Professor Sebo will consider whether AI can be sentient and have experiences. He will argue that there is a realistic chance that some AI systems will be sentient in the near future, and that AI companies and other actors have a responsibility to start taking this risk seriously now.

Professor Sebo’s research focuses on such areas as moral philosophy, legal philosophy and philosophy of mind, including AI and animal minds. Among his works are The Moral Circle (Norton 2025) and Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves (Oxford 2022). He has numerous appointments, including as a senior affiliate at the Institute for Law and AI and as a mentor at Sentient Media. He has given a TEDx talk on AI Sentience (forthcoming) and was named one of Vox’s 50 people who are working to build a more positive future.

Please join us for this engaging event!

Categories: Arts and Culture