Artificial intelligence is penetrating ever deeper into every facet of our lives. It is the technological revolution of this century and is already reshaping the foundations of our society. But are we truly prepared for the profound societal consequences this brings? And does "more AI" automatically lead to progress?
In Our Artificial Future: What We Want from AI (and What AI Wants from Us), AI ethicist Joris Krijger explores the broader narrative behind the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. The focus is not on the technical side—programming smart systems—but on the ethical questions: How do we (re)program our society in a world where AI plays an increasingly dominant role?
In a recent radio interview with Dutch public broadcaster NPO, Krijger stated:
"The assumption is often that AI is simply a useful tool, but there are all kinds of commercial interests determining how the technology is deployed, who benefits from it, and who pays the price. AI sets society on a particular path. If we only think in terms of efficiency and progress, it creates pressure on other values like solidarity, justice, and fairness. We must carefully consider where we embrace AI’s efficiency and where we need to prioritize other values to maintain a humane society."
Krijger doesn’t just examine the problems AI might solve but also what it doesn’t solve—and the new dilemmas and risks it introduces. In doing so, he sketches a vision of our future society and poses the crucial question: Is this the artificial future we truly want?
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Joris Krijger was one of the first official AI ethicists in the Netherlands. After studying a unique combination of Philosophy, Psychology, and Film & Literature (summa cum laude) at Leiden University, he began working in 2019 as an ethics and AI specialist at ASN Bank while pursuing a PhD in AI ethics at Erasmus University Rotterdam. He has published multiple academic papers on AI ethics, and his articles have appeared in major Dutch newspapers like Trouw and de Volkskrant. Additionally, Krijger is a Founding Editorial Board Member of Nature Springer’s AI & Ethics Journal and co-founder of EDSA, an association where major public and private organizations discuss ethical dilemmas surrounding algorithmic decision-making.
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Press: Eddie Adelmund (Adelmund@esphil.eur.nl)
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