Shannon Vallor

Leah Sargent, a debater-turned-policy writer, explains debate habits that sharpen persuasion and openness. Shannon Vallor, philosopher of AI ethics, probes how AI reshapes creativity and moral thought. Naomi Baron, linguist, warns about shrinking reading cultures and summary tools. Adrian van der Waal, reading advocate, links deep reading to democratic life. Marianne Wolf, neuroscientist, highlights the reading brain. Annie Bender produced the narrative.

In a riveting discussion, Shannon Vallor, a professor of philosophy at Santa Clara University, delves into the ethical implications of technology. She highlights the phenomenon of acute techno-moral opacity, emphasizing the limitations of traditional ethical frameworks like utilitarianism in our rapidly changing world. Vallor advocates for a virtue ethics approach to navigate these complex moral challenges. The conversation also touches on the role of social media in shaping self-perception and its impact on society's ethical landscape.

Shannon Vallor, a philosophy professor specializing in AI ethics, joins the discussion to examine whether AI can truly reflect human wisdom or merely mirrors our data. She argues that wisdom should be defined as moral understanding guided by values, rejecting the idea of 'evil wisdom.' Shannon warns about the pressures of corporate incentives that undermine ethical decision-making and suggests that technology should support human flourishing. Ultimately, she critiques current AI's role, asserting it should embody virtues, not just values.