As synthetic intelligence (AI) turns into more and more built-in into on a regular basis life, UCF’s Department of Philosophy has deliberately been strengthening school analysis on this space, in addition to rising alternatives for college students to be taught extra concerning the influence of expertise on people and the pure and social environments. A main focus has been analyzing the moral implications of AI and different rising applied sciences.
Department Chair and Professor of Philosophy Nancy Stanlick emphasizes that understanding AI requires greater than technical information; it calls for a deep exploration of ethics.
“As science and technology begin to shape more aspects of our lives, fundamental philosophical questions lie at the center of the ethical issues we face, especially with the rise of AI,” Stanlick says. “Perhaps the central [concern] is that it pulls us away from the essence of our humanity.”
Steve Fiore, a philosophy professor whose work is within the cognitive sciences program, investigates how people work together socially with expertise. In 2023, he co-authored a International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction examine, titled “Six Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Grand Challenges,” that serves as a name to the scientific group to design AI methods that prioritize human values and moral concerns. Fiore additionally collaborates with the U.S. Department of Defense to discover how rising applied sciences could form nationwide safety.
Professor Jonathan Beever performed a key function in creating UCF’s artificial intelligence, big data and human impacts undergraduate certificates. The interdisciplinary program equips college students with the instruments to critically assess and advocate for the moral growth of data-driven applied sciences, notably AI and massive knowledge.
Associate Lecturer Stacey DiLiberto brings a singular perspective by her work in digital humanities, a discipline that merges conventional humanities with digital instruments. Her analysis and educating encourage college students to view AI as a device, whereas critically analyzing its influence on id and creativity. In her courses, she challenges college students with questions like “What does it mean to be human when humans can mimic our creativity?” DiLiberto argues that whereas AI can generate artwork, it lacks the lived expertise and emotional depth that outline human expression. Machines can not substitute lived experiences or reminiscences, usually missing pathos when producing artwork.
While synthetic intelligence has made exceptional progress, it doesn’t replicate the depth of human connection or the moral and ethical reasoning inherent to human judgment. Department of Philosophy school like Stanlick, Fiore, Beever and DiLiberto present frameworks for creating expertise in ways in which uphold moral requirements and protect human values.
Visit the Department of Philosophy for extra details about undergraduate and graduate applications, programs and alternatives to collaborate with the division’s school and college students.