Artificial Intelligence and Human Values: A Public Conversation

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant or abstract possibility. It is actively reshaping how we work, create, decide, and relate to one another. These developments create a new set of urgent questions that demand our attention: What values should guide these technologies? Which human capacities should be preserved or relinquished? And who gets to decide?

This spring, UNH's Saul O. Sidore Memorial Lecture Series tackles those questions head-on. The symposium, "Artificial Intelligence and Human Values: A Public Conversation," brings together leading voices in contemporary philosophy and AI ethics, known for combining conceptual rigor with real-world relevance for a full day of talks, debate, and open dialogue with stakeholders, researchers, students, and faculty from UNH as well as members of the public. Their talks will approach AI from different angles, offering complementary perspectives on what is at stake as intelligent systems increasingly shape human life.

The event is free and open to all — but registration is required to attend for all or part of the day.

Organized by faculty in UNH's Department of Philosophy and the newly established UNH Center for Ethics, the April 3 workshop draws together researchers working at the intersections of philosophy of mind, ethics, epistemology, political philosophy, and the philosophy of computing. Their talks approach AI from complementary angles that explore the moral status of AI systems, questions of responsibility and accountability, the nature of human–AI relationships, and the ethical frameworks guiding AI development.

Find full details of the event, including bios and schedule at: https://cola.unh.edu/center-humanities/events-programs/sidore-lecture-series

09:30 AM–10:30 AM             
Harvey Lederman: “New Culture for a New World”

10:30 AM–11:30 AM             
Beba Cibralic: “Problems in Assessing Agency and Attributing Responsibility in AIs”

11:30 AM –12:30 PM             
Henry Shevlin “Social AI and the Future of Human Connection”

02:00 PM–03:00 PM              
Kay Mathiesen: "How Serious is the Threat of Digital Fakes?”

03:00 PM–04:30 PM              
Nir Eisokovits and James Hughes Public Exchange on Therapy Bots

The Saul O Sidore Memorial Lecture Series was established in 1965 in memory of Saul O Sidore of Manchester, New Hampshire. Funded in part by an annual gift from the Saul O. Sidore Memorial Foundation and housed at the UNH Center for the Humanities, the series presents engaging speakers on critical issues facing our society.

For information about past Sidore Lecture Series, visit the Sidore Lecture Series page.