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AI firms hire philosophers for 'ethical lubrication,' drawing criticism

AI companies are reportedly hiring philosophers to serve as "ethical lubrication," a practice criticized as a way to legitimize potentially harmful AI development. Critics argue these philosophers are hired to provide a veneer of ethical consideration rather than to genuinely address concerns about sentient AI or the implications of advanced algorithms. This trend is seen by some as a modern form of sophistry, fueling a societal delusion about the current state and future of artificial intelligence. AI

IMPACT This practice raises questions about the genuine commitment of AI companies to ethical development and may influence public perception of AI's risks.

RANK_REASON The cluster consists of opinion pieces and social media posts discussing a trend in AI companies hiring philosophers, rather than a direct announcement or event.

Read on Mastodon — fosstodon.org →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 2 sources. How we write summaries →

AI firms hire philosophers for 'ethical lubrication,' drawing criticism

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Commentary
The cluster consists of opinion pieces and social media posts discussing a trend in AI companies hiring philosophers, rather than a direct announcement or event.
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opinion, policy
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97 days old
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COVERAGE [2]

  1. Mastodon — fosstodon.org TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    And if you still need arguments against sentient AI, I got you covered here: https:// open.substack.com/pub/lovephil osophy/p/the-cyborg-myth # AI is # Algorith

    And if you still need arguments against sentient AI, I got you covered here: https:// open.substack.com/pub/lovephil osophy/p/the-cyborg-myth # AI is # AlgorithmicMimicry

  2. Mastodon — fosstodon.org TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    # AI companies are hiring the worst and most shameless philosophers on Earth for what is called # EthicalLubrication : https://www. economist.com/science-and-te

    # AI companies are hiring the worst and most shameless philosophers on Earth for what is called # EthicalLubrication : https://www. economist.com/science-and-tech nology/2026/06/24/why-big-ai-labs-are-hiring-so-many-philosophers The sheer amout of effective altruists among these …