Shannon Vallor
Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and AI, University of Edinburgh
Shannon Vallor is a philosopher of technology whose work asks what AI does to human character and moral skill. Technology and the Virtues (2016) and The AI Mirror (2024) argue that systems trained on our past reflect it back to us, and that this narrows rather than expands what we imagine is possible.
Key arguments & positions
- Argues AI systems act as a mirror: trained on our past, they reflect it back and narrow what we imagine is possible.
- Holds that the real risk is moral deskilling — losing practiced human judgment by delegating it.
- Argues ethics should be about cultivating capability and character, not only about avoiding listed harms.
Accomplishments
- Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh.
- Co-director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures and of the BRAID program (Bridging Responsible AI Divides).
- Author of Technology and the Virtues (2016) and The AI Mirror (2024); former visiting AI ethicist at Google.
Papers & key writings
Links
In the library
Nothing of theirs is filed in the hub yet. Browse the full library.
Recommended next
Hand-picked from the hub based on what Shannon Vallor covers.
Tech Policy Press — Technology and Democracy
This nonprofit publication provides news, opinion, and analysis on how technology impacts government and democracy. You can read articles and listen to podcasts to stay informed on tech laws, platform regulations, and artificial intelligence ethics.
Why this: Also about AI ethics
Ruha Benjamin
This website features the work of scholar Ruha Benjamin on race, justice, and modern technology. You can read her articles, explore her books, and access educational resources on the social impact of innovation.
Why this: Also about AI ethics
Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp — for students
A free twenty-hour introduction to artificial intelligence for high school students, no coding experience required, taught through hands-on projects in areas students already care about.
Why this: Also about AI ethics
GatherVerse Women's AI Summit 2026
The GatherVerse Women's AI Summit 2026 is a free virtual global gathering of women building the future of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, running September 15-17 and September 22-23, 2026, starting 8:00 AM PT each day. Sessions span technology, healthcare, education, business and community work, with a humanity-first focus on experiences, opportunities and what comes next at the intersection of AI and people.
Why this: Also about AI ethics