Rhys Southan
@rhysso.bsky.social
Philosophy PhD student at the University of Oxford
New Works in Philosophy posted our summary of "A Timing Problem for Instrumental Convergence" newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/a-timing-p...
“A Timing Problem for Instrumental Convergence” - Rhys Southan, Helena Ward, and Jen Semler (all @University of Oxford)
Philosophical Studies, 2025
newworkinphilosophy.substack.com
September 17, 2025 at 7:31 AM
New Works in Philosophy posted our summary of "A Timing Problem for Instrumental Convergence" newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/a-timing-p...
Reposted by Rhys Southan
My paper on "The Moral Importance of Low-Welfare Species" is now available online first: journals.publishing.umich.edu/jpe/news/207/
It discusses whether benefits for species with small welfare ranges can outweigh significant human goods.
It discusses whether benefits for species with small welfare ranges can outweigh significant human goods.
The Moral Importance of Low-Welfare Species. Forthcoming article by Jakob Lohmar
Abstract: Many species seem to have much smaller welfare ranges than we do. Which importance should we assign to the welfare of these low-welfare species when we have to decide …
journals.publishing.umich.edu
July 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM
My paper on "The Moral Importance of Low-Welfare Species" is now available online first: journals.publishing.umich.edu/jpe/news/207/
It discusses whether benefits for species with small welfare ranges can outweigh significant human goods.
It discusses whether benefits for species with small welfare ranges can outweigh significant human goods.
Will a superintelligence preserve its goals just because that makes it better at achieving its goals? We argue no: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A timing problem for instrumental convergence - Philosophical Studies
Those who worry about a superintelligent AI destroying humanity often appeal to the instrumental convergence thesis—the claim that even if we don’t know what a superintelligence’s ultimate goals will ...
link.springer.com
July 3, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Will a superintelligence preserve its goals just because that makes it better at achieving its goals? We argue no: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Has anyone written about whether Barron Trump's being a student at NYU protects NYU against Trump's attacks on universities? Last I checked, NYU wasn't on Trump's list of universities to defund
April 16, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Has anyone written about whether Barron Trump's being a student at NYU protects NYU against Trump's attacks on universities? Last I checked, NYU wasn't on Trump's list of universities to defund
Nice takedown of the phrase "moral blackmail": benthams.substack.com/p/the-phrase...
The Phrase "Moral Blackmail" Has Become A Figleaf For Psychopathy
As has its twin, the phrase emotional blackmail
benthams.substack.com
March 17, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Nice takedown of the phrase "moral blackmail": benthams.substack.com/p/the-phrase...
Every time I get a head rush, I think about whether my life would be worth living if I had a head rush every waking moment, and I can never settle on an answer
March 15, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Every time I get a head rush, I think about whether my life would be worth living if I had a head rush every waking moment, and I can never settle on an answer
Hehehe good thing no one can see what I'm writing in my secret scratchpad
December 19, 2024 at 3:45 AM
Hehehe good thing no one can see what I'm writing in my secret scratchpad
"Jonathan Birch is for Terminator/Hal 9000. Eliezer Yudkowsky is for you."
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
AI could cause ‘social ruptures’ between people who disagree on its sentience
Leading philosopher says issue is ‘no longer one for sci-fi’ as dawn of AI consciousness is predicted for 2035
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2024 at 10:15 PM
"Jonathan Birch is for Terminator/Hal 9000. Eliezer Yudkowsky is for you."
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...