This story references an article originally published in The Economist
As AI labs work to advance their models, they increasingly select for those trained in philosophy. Figures from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s 2024 report show that, “7% of those who had studied computer science were unemployed, against just 5.1% of philosophers”.
Job listings for philosophers at technical firms may be new, but according to The Economist, “the lessons that philosophy can offer AI researchers are ancient”. For example, when philosophers train AI models in the Socratic method — which uses, “feigned ignorance and sequential questioning to clarify meanings, spot contradictions and reveal ramifications”– experts report that the models are, “less keen on people-pleasing and more willing to pursue the truth”.
Philosophers have a unique opportunity to guide and advance model evolution, for which being AI-literate is crucial. The Ethics Institute’s AI + Data Ethics (AIDE) Summer Program, co-led by professors Katie Creel and John Basl, aims to foster this literacy. A nine-week program for graduate students of ethics and philosophy of science, AIDE Summer develops core competencies in the philosophy of AI and computation, preparing the next generation of philosophers to supply the skills that AI firms are demanding.
Read “Why big AI labs are hiring so many philosophers” at The Economist
Illustration: Simon Bailly
