Jeff Sebo

Moral Philosopher

Jeff is an associate professor of environmental studies, an affiliated professor of bioethics,medical ethics, philosophy, and law, the director of the center for environmental and animal protection, and the director of the center for Mind, ethics, and policy at New York University. His work focuses on moral, legal, and political questions involving AI, animals, and the environment. Jeff argues for expanding our moral circle to include animals, AI systems, and other nonhumans with transformative implications for our lives and societies.

What Do We Owe AI?

Will AI systems ever become sentient? How should we treat them if we feel uncertain? The prospect of AI systems possessing their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions is no longer an issue confined to science fiction or the distant future. There is a realistic possibility that some AI systems will soon have these capacities, and we should start developing an ethical framework to address this issue now, so that we can be prepared if and when the time comes. This talk was presented on September 25, 2024.

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