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AI and Human Values - PHI00150H

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  • Department: Philosophy
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2026-27

Module summary

Writing a poem or a letter of condolence, composing a song, painting a beautiful view, reading a book of philosophy, learning a language, making friends, keeping a relationship going: all these things take time and effort and are prone to failure, yet AI is promising to do them for us quickly, reliably, and with minimal effort. What might we lose by accepting this offer? How can the effort put in make something more valuable? How can the humanity of the creator make something more valuable? Is it worth the loss of that value to have the increase in valuable outputs?

The module will attempt to find answers to these very general questions by considering actual cases. We will examine specific AI technologies which are available (at the time of teaching) and critically assess what they claim to do against what they actually do, and consider whether the concern for what they take away from us is merely nostalgia or whether they do in fact bleach out much of human value in the world.

The module will draw upon Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Language, Epistemology, Aesthetics, Political Philosophy, and Moral Philosophy to help understand the significance of what is claimed to be the defining technology of this century.

Professional requirements

N/A

Related modules

N/A

Elective Pre-Requisites

These pre-requisites only apply to students taking this module as an elective.

N/A

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2026-27

Module aims

  1. To explore and critically evaluate the fundamental philosophical questions of value raised by the increasing capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

  2. To encourage students to critically assess the actual performance and claims of specific AI technologies, distinguishing between hype and reality.

  3. To enable students to apply concepts from various philosophical disciplines—including Philosophy of Mind, Aesthetics, and Moral Philosophy—to analyze the impact of AI on human experience and activities.

  4. To develop students' skills in philosophical analysis, critical thinking, and written argumentation, preparing them to engage with the likely ubiquity of AI in future.

  5. To foster an understanding of the social, economic, and political implications of AI, particularly concerning topics like value alignment, capitalism, and the environment.

Module learning outcomes

  1. Explain and critically analyze the core philosophical concepts—such as meaning, understanding, value, and historicity—necessary to evaluate the significance of AI-generated content.

  2. Assess and articulate the potential value lost or gained when human effort and creativity are delegated to or replaced by specific AI tools, applying philosophical theories of value.

  3. Critically evaluate the ethical and societal challenges posed by AI, including issues of value alignment, enshittification, coercion, and the changing dynamics of friendship and intellectual development.

  4. Conduct a critical analysis of a contemporary AI tool, applying the theoretical concepts learned in the module to evaluate its claims and actual performance in a clear, written format.

  5. Formulate and defend a well-structured philosophical argument in essay form, drawing upon various sub-disciplines of philosophy to assess whether a specific AI tool adds or detracts from human value.

Module content

Provisional Topics (coverage of each will be fairly superficial, though students are expected to go into greater depth where the topic draws upon material they have studied in other modules):

  1. How does AI actually work?

  2. Meaning, Understanding, and Pareidolia 

  3. Value alignment and capitalism

  4. Enshittification and coercion

Formative: In pairs,* choose an AI tool and write a critical analysis of it using what you have learned (max 1000 words)

  1. Art and Historicity

  2. Education and Intellectual Development

  3. The ‘Democratization’ of Everything

Formative: In pairs,* choose an AI tool and write a critical analysis of it using what you have learned (max 1000 words)

  1. The Values of Friendship

  2. Delegation and Dependency

Summative: 4000 word essay on whether a specific AI tool of your choice adds value to the world or not. (Students must abide by the Department’s rules on AI use for this assessment.)

Delivery: Lectures will be towards the end of the week (Thurs/Fri). Each will consist of a 60 minute introduction to the topic and then 30 minutes interactive exploration of specific AI tools suggested in advance by the students. Seminars will be at the start of the following week (Mon/Tues) and will involve looking at the purely philosophical positions needed to understand the topics (i.e. they will focus on understanding the theory not the application).

(*): I will probably suggest teams of three: two humans and an AI, so one AI will be contributing to the critique of another.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

N/A

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100.0

Module feedback

All formative and summative feedback will be returned in accordance with University and Departmental policy.

Indicative reading

Bender, E. M., & Hanna, A. (2025). The AI con¿: how to fight big tech’s hype and create the future we want. The Bodley Head.

Crawford, K. (2021). The atlas of AI¿: power, politics, and the planetary costs of Artificial Intelligence / Kate Crawford. Yale University Press.

Edmonds, D. (ed.), AI Morality (Oxford, 2024; online edn, Oxford Academic, 18 July 2024), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198876434.001.0001

Suleyman, M. (2025). Towards a Humanist Superintelligence. https://microsoft.ai/news/towards-humanist-superintelligence/ (accessed 24/11/2025)

Ve´liz, C. (2024). The ethics of privacy and surveillance. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198870173.001.0001 


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.