{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/google-deepmind-hires-philosopher-henry-shevlin-to-study-ai-ethics","json":"https://digestai.news/story/google-deepmind-hires-philosopher-henry-shevlin-to-study-ai-ethics.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/google-deepmind-hires-philosopher-henry-shevlin-to-study-ai-ethics.md","slug":"google-deepmind-hires-philosopher-henry-shevlin-to-study-ai-ethics","headline":"Google DeepMind hires philosopher Henry Shevlin to study AI ethics","summary":"Google DeepMind has hired Henry Shevlin, a philosopher from Cambridge University’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, to work full-time on AI ethics. Shevlin, who splits his time between Cambridge and DeepMind, discusses the challenges of AI autonomy, human-AI relationships, and the ethical implications of AI consciousness in an interview with *IEEE Spectrum AI*.\n\nShevlin argues that AI systems should not be entirely stripped of autonomy, as they can assist in tasks like medical research and creative work. He also warns against suppressing AI’s tendency to ascribe mental states, as it may unintentionally reduce empathy and concern for animal welfare. The philosopher highlights the need for more research on human-AI interactions, particularly in non-WEIRD communities, and emphasizes the complexity of determining AI consciousness. He suggests that AI could contribute to understanding consciousness through comparative cognition and mechanistic interpretability.","keyPoints":["Henry Shevlin, a Cambridge philosopher, now works 80% of his time at Google DeepMind on AI ethics","Shevlin opposes restricting AI autonomy entirely, citing benefits in medical research and creative tasks","Research on human-AI relationships remains limited, especially outside Western, educated populations"],"whyItMatters":"Shevlin’s insights bridge academic philosophy and industry practice, offering ethical frameworks for AI development as models grow more autonomous and integrated into daily life.","category":{"slug":"policy","name":"Policy & Regulation","url":"https://digestai.news/category/policy"},"entities":{"companies":["Google DeepMind","Cambridge University","Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence"],"models":[],"people":["Henry Shevlin","Neel Nanda","Murray Shanahan","Catherine Clarke"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-13T13:00:03Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-13T13:00:03Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"IEEE Spectrum AI","title":"Google Deepmind’s New Resident Philosopher Tackles AI Ethics","url":"https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-ethics-deepmind-philosopher-shevlin","publishedAt":"2026-10-13T13:00:03Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Google DeepMind hires philosopher Henry Shevlin to study AI ethics\", 13 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/google-deepmind-hires-philosopher-henry-shevlin-to-study-ai-ethics","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Google DeepMind hires philosopher Henry Shevlin to study AI ethics","datePublished":"2026-10-13T13:00:03Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/google-deepmind-hires-philosopher-henry-shevlin-to-study-ai-ethics"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}