News

We are currently recruiting a Post-doctoral Fellow to join us under the AI & Humanities Lab, specific requirement are as follows.  Should you be interested, please apply through the HKU’s system. Work type : Full-time Department : School of Humanities (05200) Categories : Senior Research Staff & Post-doctoral Fellow The School of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong invites qualified individuals to apply for the position of Post-doctoral Fellow in Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, to commence as soon as possible. The initial appointment will be for two years, with the potential for extension for an additional year. Applicants should have completed a Ph.D. degree in relevant fields of philosophy (or related fields) by the time of appointment. The position is open to all areas of specialisation, but applicants with competence in philosophy of AI or philosophy of technology are preferred. The appointment will be affiliated with AI & Humanity-Lab: https://ai-humanity.net. The Post-doctoral Fellow is expected to participate actively in the work of AI & Humanity-Lab. Applicants should submit project proposals (max. 5 pages) that fall within the research centre’s remit. Information about the department can be found at https://philosophy.hku.hk. Enquiries about the duties of the post can be directed to Chair Professor Herman Cappelen (hwcapp@hku.hk). The University offers a highly competitive salary package, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Additional benefits include annual leave and medical coverage. At current rates, salaries tax does not exceed 15% of gross income. The University only accepts online applications for the above post. Applicants should apply only at the University’s careers site (https://jobs.hku.hk) and upload an up-to-date C.V., a writing sample of scholarly work, and a project proposal on the philosophy of AI (not exceeding five pages). Shortlisted applicants will be requested to arrange for two references. The review of applications will begin immediately

Join us for the Philosophy of AI Summer School – Paris 2025, co-hosted by the University of Hong Kong Philosophy Department in collaboration with the University of London in Paris (ULIP). Taking place from June 30 to July 4, this event promises a valuable experience at the intersection of philosophy and artificial intelligence. The program features expert lectures and seminars by renowned scholars, including Henry Shevlin (Cambridge), Rachel Sterken, Herman Cappelen, Boris Babic, and Brian Wong from the University of Hong Kong, as well as other esteemed speakers from the University of London and beyond. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a transformative learning experience at the forefront of AI philosophy. For application & inquiries, please contact ip@sas.ac.uk 

Our recent seminar discussion on Deepseek – Unpacking the Technical, Financial, and Geopolitical Implications, has been published by the South China Morning Post in a feature article.  Read the full article: China’s DeepSeek shows US chip controls have failed as AI race ramps up: HKU scholars A video capturing the essence of our discussion has been uploaded to our YouTube Channel.

Our Director, Professor Herman Cappelen, author of several books about AI, explains why he believes that AI can think, plan and have emotions, why some people do not want to listen to music created by AI, and why do the philosophers like the film The Matrix. Read the full article here. 

We are excited to announce the launch of a new collaboration with The Conceptual Engineering for Emerging Technologies (CEET) initiative. This joint venture brings together the Conceptual Engineering Network, the ESDIT Consortium, our AI & Humanity Lab, and ConceptLab HK. The CEET initiative aims to promote the application of conceptual engineering to transformations induced by emerging technologies. The committee members of the CEET initiative include our Centre Director, Professor Herman Cappelen, Research Directors, Professor Max Deutsch and Dr Rachel Sterken. For more details, please visit its official website.

“YouTube, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard—all of them have the power to manipulate you ……..” Check out this recent paper written by Rachel Sterken, our Department Head of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong, along with Jessica Pepp and Eliot Michaelson. Read the full article here

Cappelen recently featured in a (Chinese language) TV show about risks and benefits arising from the development of powerful AI. You can watch it on Youtube here.

The Lab, along with the Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study, University of London, and the London AI and Humanity project, are organizing a summer school in philosophy of AI. The school is designed for PhD students, postdocs, and early career researchers in Philosophy, but is also open to those working in cognate areas who would benefit from participating. The school will take place in Paris, France, from 1st July to 5th July 2024, at the University of London in Paris (ULIP). For more information about applying, please see here, where you can find the form prospective applicants should fill in.