What do our conversations with machines reveal about what it means to be human?
In this episode of Ethics and Innovation by Oxford+ brought to you by Equinox, host Susannah de Jager speaks with Professor Edward Harcourt, Director of Oxford's Institute for Ethics in AI, about the parts of human life that no algorithm can reproduce. Edward argues that the real risk of chatbots is not that they reshape social life, but that people mistake them for something real.
Recorded as the UK government confirmed a ban on social media for under-16s from spring 2027, the conversation moves from embodiment and mortality to attachment theory, pluralism and the limits of machine minds. Edward warns of two quieter dangers: cognitive atrophy, as we outsource our thinking, and social atrophy, as we trade human contact for efficiency.
Edward Harcourt: Edward Harcourt is Director of the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford, where he is also Professor of Philosophy and a Fellow of Keble College. His work sits at the boundary of ethics and the philosophy of mind, and his research at the Institute focuses on AI and humanity: how human values should shape the design, governance and use of AI, and what philosophical reflection on AI reveals about what is unique to human beings. From 2018 to 2022 he was Director of Research, Strategy and Innovation at UK Research and Innovation's Arts and Humanities Research Council, where he helped develop its Bridging Responsible AI Divides (BRAID) programme. He is the editor of Attachment and Character (Oxford University Press, 2021) and has written widely on moral psychology, child development and Wittgenstein. He was appointed MBE.
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Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.
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Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Equinox.
Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.
