We are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Edward Harcourt MBE as Director of the Institute for Ethics in AI for a 12-month term.
Edward is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Keble College. From 2018 to 2022, he was Director of Research, Strategy and Innovation at the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), where he helped to develop the flagship BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides) programme, contributed to AHRC’s partnership with the Ada Lovelace Institute, and gave evidence to the Committee on Standards in Public Life AI and Public Standards Report (2020). He was also responsible for introducing design research as an AHRC strategic priority.
An experienced institutional leader, his research lies at the boundary of ethics and the philosophy of mind. As regards AI, his thinking focusses on AI and humanity: how human values are reflected (or not) in AI design choices, and how philosophical reflection on AI can help to identify what’s unique to human beings. At the Institute for Ethics and AI, he is committed to building the Institute’s relationships not only within the university - with the Philosophy Faculty, with Computer Science, with the wider Humanities Division and beyond - but also with government and private enterprise, so the Institute’s work both has a secure foundation in independent research and the real-world impact it deserves.