The capabilities of ChatGPT, and other large language models, have prompted a debate over the looming effects of artificial intelligence on white collar employment. In other fields, the impact of digital technology is already apparent: increasingly skilled robots are driving automation in factories, and smartphones have rendered possible new forms of platform-based, on-demand labour. In this course, we will bring a philosophical perspective to bear on the topic of artificial intelligence, automation, and the future of work. We will begin by critically examining some key concepts: What is artificial intelligence? In what ways is the labour market a special market? Are there work-related goods other than money? We then ask in what ways artificial intelligence, and recent advances in digital technology more generally, raise distinct concerns about justice. In so doing, we bring together empirical studies of changes in employment with theoretical accounts of the goods and values the labour market should realise. We explore potential policy responses, like the introduction of a universal basic income or the creation of property rights in personal data, carefully assessing arguments that speak for and against each. We close by investigating different philosophical views about the ideal place of work in a human life – and discuss how it could be realised going forward.
- Enseignant·e: Friedemann Rudolf Herbert Bieber