The Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) at Erasmus University Rotterdam proudly announces the appointment of Professor Vincent Blok to its newly established Chair in Philosophy of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. This new position underlines ESPhil’s commitment to strengthening the role of philosophy in interdisciplinary collaborations and addressing the ethical, social, and political ramifications of technological innovation.
As part of ESPhil’s mission to develop thought-provoking philosophical perspectives on contemporary global challenges, the new chair is designed to advance research and education at the intersection of data science, AI, and philosophy of technology. It will foster close collaborations within Erasmus University, including the convergence strategy with partners such as TU Delft, Erasmus MC, and Leiden University.
Vincent Blok is one of the world leading philosophers of technology and has an extensive background in the philosophy of technology and responsible innovation. He holds a PhD in philosophy from Leiden University and previously served as Professor of Philosophy of Technology and Responsible Innovation at Wageningen University. He also was Scientific Director of the 4TU Centre for Ethics of Technology, a national collaboration of four Dutch technical universities.
Professor Blok’s research focuses on the meaning of disruptive technologies for the human condition and the environment, from a continental philosophical perspective, and explores fundamental philosophical questions in the context of scientific advancements like Data science (e.g. the materiality of digital twins), and AI (e.g the nature of intelligence) etc. He has published several monographs, including the books Ernst Jünger’s Philosophy of Technology, Heidegger’s Concept of Philosophical Method, and The Critique of Management. Toward a Philosophy and Ethics of Business Management. He also published over 200 academic contributions that appeared in disciplinary philosophy journals such as Synthese , Environmental Values and Philosophy & Technology, as well as in multidisciplinary journals like Science, Business & Society, and Journal of Cleaner Production.
Blok on his appointment
I am an engaged philosopher who likes to collaborate with other disciplines on scientific and societal challenges. Wageningen has been a great environment to work in, with its focus on sustainability and healthy food production, and its ambition to be a top university. At the same time, I always envisioned a new step ahead in my personal development, as most philosophers in Wageningen have a strong focus on applied ethics and science and technology studies, while my ambition always has been to embed my interdisciplinary work in strong disciplinary philosophical research. It is great to have so many specialists in Rotterdam, ranging from political philosophers to philosophers of economy, from whom my research team can learn a lot. Also, I always hoped to be once employed by a philosophy faculty that enables me to engage with philosophy bachelor and master students and to do fundamental disciplinary work with them and colleagues, next to my interdisciplinary collaborations in research projects. In this respect, my appointment at EUR is a dream that comes true.
Vincent Blok
Professor of Philosophy of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
The new chair will help ESPhil further develop its strategic goals in response to the evolving role of AI and data science in society. Professor Blok has a strong track record in both NWO and European funded research projects, that will enable the faculty to establish interdisciplinary collaborations and explore initiatives such as an ELSA lab (Ethical, Legal, and Social Aspects of AI and Data Science), connecting fundamental philosophical inquiry with applied research in business and health contexts.
“I strongly believe that current technological developments in Data Science and AI require a multi-level perspective, so that not only ethical concerns regarding privacy or data ownership are addressed in new emerging technologies, but also the broader societal concerns at a socio-political (e.g. surveillance capitalism), epistemological (e.g. the (in)congruency between human and artificial intelligence) and ontological level (e.g. dataism) are considered. Because engineers and ethicists of technology tend to focus on the technological design of new artefacts (e.g. a brain implant), while the socio-ethical impact is broader and not necessarily to be addressed at the level of the responsible application of the technology, my research team engages in inter- and trans-disciplinary partnerships between humanities, social sciences and technical sciences, for instance in the development of Social labs where we study the Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects (ELSA) of AI from a multi-level perspective. By integrating the results of state-of-the-art research in our education programs, I believe we can strongly contribute to the education of the next generation of thought leaders.”
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For more information, please contact our press officer: Eddie Adelmund (adelmund@esphil.eur.nl)
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