The department was delighted to welcome Professor John Sullins from Sonoma State. The talk was received with great enthusiasm and also covered by the Golden Gate Express! Thank you again to Elaine Plaisance and Benny and May Chin for funding this crucial programming.
Abstract: Artificial Wisdom: What Role Does PhilosophicalWisdom Play in a World of AI?
In this talk, I tell the story of artificial intelligence through a philosophical lens—not simply as a technical achievement, but as a series of intellectual and ethical wars that have reshaped how we understand intelligence, morality, and human freedom. Is there such a thing as “artificial wisdom” and what role will philosophers and humanists play in shaping our AI enabled society? We will trace the evolution of artificial wisdom from the early debates over whether machines could think, to today’s urgent struggle over whether they can—or should—participate in moral life. The history of AI has continually forced philosophers to clarify what we mean by mind, meaning, and wisdom.
Drawing on the history of the philosophy of technology and contemporary AI ethics, I trace how our dream of technological liberation has evolved into something far more intimate and politically charged. As AI systems become more embedded in our institutions and daily lives, the central question is no longer just about machine intelligence, but about human judgment. What would it mean to cultivate an artificial phronesis—systems oriented toward practical moral reasoning—while recognizing that genuine wisdom remains rooted in lived, embodied experience?
In an age of automation, surveillance, and grand technological futures that promise liberation from human toil, I argue that wisdom requires us to be clear about what we seek liberation from—and to ensure that our machines, and those who build them, do not quietly redefine freedom or move us away from wisdom on our behalf.
