Contemporary research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics gives rise to a large number of distinctive philosophical questions and dilemmas that, while urgent and pressing, are often sidestepped, or only superficially addressed, in science and technology courses. Can artificial intelligence systems have a mind and develop forms of consciousness? What kind of knowledge can computer simulations provide about the world, and how can it be justified? Can robotic models of living organisms be used as experimental tools in life sciences? What kind of explanations should explainable AI systems provide? How can we trust artificial intelligence and robotic systems, how can we ethically evaluate their behavior and assign responsibility for the actions they generate? These and other questions pertain to different branches of philosophy, including epistemology, philosophy of science and moral philosophy, and are increasingly at the center of the public debate on artificial intelligence and robotics. They will be partially addressed in this course.

The lessons will be highly interactive and intended for doctoral students from fields other than philosophy and without a philosophical background. Philosophical debates will be organized and encouraged, also with the help of in-vited lectures by leading experts in the various sectors covered.