Mind, Biology, and Value Alignment: Precis of The Prospect of a Humanitarian Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

This is a short sketch of some central ideas developed in my recent monograph The Prospect of a Humanitarian Artificial Intelligence, published by Bloomsbury, London 2023. The monograph is available open access at library.oapen.org/handle/20.500. 12657/61934. It illuminates the development of AI by examining our drive to live a dignified life. It uses the notions of agency and attention to consider our pursuit of what is important. It shows how the best way to guarantee value alignment between humans and potentially intelligent machines is through attention routines that satisfy similar needs. Setting out a theoretical framework for AI, the book acknowledges its legal, moral, and political implications and takes into account how epistemic agency differs from moral agency. Insightful comparisons between human and animal intelligence clarify why adopting a need-based attention approach justifies a humanitarian framework. This is an urgent, timely argument for developing AI technologies based on international human rights agreements.