Dr. Spyridon Stelios
Teaching and Research Associate, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou, Athens, Greece

Title: Intellity.

Abstract: There is a basic question that preoccupies moral philosophers today: Can we speak of an artificial moral agent? This question, however, may be a derivative of a common misunderstanding about the role that artificial intelligence has and will have in our lives. The problem has two dimensions comprising of two similar, but different, questions. The first concerns whether a machine can demonstrate moral behavior and the second concerns whether the machine can process ethical issues. The answer to the first question is probably yes. The machine, if it is allowed, can reach decisions that are, prima facie, right (there are already examples of algorithmic decision in criminal justice). On the other hand, the answer to the second question is the most interesting. And that is because, in social terms, it doesn't matter that much. Each system, social, cultural, political, located within any spatiotemporal context, is what decides what is right and what is wrong, regardless of how we, individually, belonging to the minority or majority, deal with it. In this sense, the basis on which the debate about the possibility of (human) moral attitudes from intelligent machines rests, is demolished. The more the use of artificial intelligence spreads, and the more it intervenes in the mechanisms of the lifeworld and the systems by imposing moral norms through its effectiveness, the more the essence of any reflection on real artificial morality is removed. Morality is, already, the invisible other side of intelligence, a kind of “intellity”, which determines the future normative frameworks within society.

BIO: Spyridon Stelios received his PhD in History and Philosophy of Sciences and Technology from the Department of Philosophy and History of Science at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens [MA by University of Amsterdam]. Since 2014, he serves as a Teaching and Research Associate in the National Technical University of Athens, specializing in the fields of ‘Moral Philosophy' and 'Epistemology’ and teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses. He has written the book “Engineering Ethics: Dilemmas and challenges for professional engineers” (in Greek, 2022), chapters in collective volumes and articles in peer-reviewed international journals and has participated in international and Greek scientific conferences. He also serves as a reviewer for several academic journals and is Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies journal. More info at: http://users.ntua.gr/stelioss/