Skip to content

(Bio)technology and what makes us human

(Bio)technology and what makes us human

Andrew Moeller, Faculty of History Alberto Giubilini, Uehiro Oxford Institute Themes from the conference “Biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, and Human Identity” (Medical Humanities Programme) Crossposted from TORCH Medical Humanities The conference “Biotechnologies, Artificial Intelligence, and Human Identity” brought together a crowded room to hear 12 speakers engage in lively discussion on whether and how technologies such… Read More »(Bio)technology and what makes us human

Declaration of Helsinki turns 60 – how this foundational document of medical ethics has stood the test of time

The declaration of Helsinki recently turned 60, but don’t feel bad if you missed the celebrations. It probably passed unnoticed by most people not working in the medical field – and possibly even a good few in the field. If you’re not familiar with the declaration – adopted by the World Medical Association on October… Read More »Declaration of Helsinki turns 60 – how this foundational document of medical ethics has stood the test of time

Guest Post: Must Antinatalists Be Pessimists?

  • by

Written by Dr Matti Häyry, PhD, Professor of Philosophy of Management, Aalto University School of Business (Academic Visitor at the Oxford Uehiro Centre, University of Oxford, 2007–2008) Antinatalism is being against reproduction, typically on altruistic grounds. Applied to humans, this means not having children in the trepidation that their lives could be miserable. A prominent… Read More »Guest Post: Must Antinatalists Be Pessimists?

Friend AI: Personal Enhancement or Uninvited Company?

written by Christopher Register You can now pre-order a friend—or, a Friend, which is designed to be an AI friend. The small, round device contains AI-powered software and a microphone, and it’s designed to be worn on a lanyard around the neck at virtually any time. The austere product website says of Friend that, “When… Read More »Friend AI: Personal Enhancement or Uninvited Company?

Launch of the Uehiro Oxford Institute

  • by

Today we’re launching the Uehiro Oxford Institute – a new interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Oxford. We look forward to new collaborations, research and engagement in helping us to achieve our new mission, responding to the ethical question of how we should act and live in light of the great challenges faced by… Read More »Launch of the Uehiro Oxford Institute

Are psychedelic Experiences Intrinsically Valuable?

By Katherine Cheung, David B. Yaden, and Brian D. Earp Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, are currently being studied for their potential therapeutic impact — primarily in conjunction with some form of psychotherapy — on a variety of conditions. Within such a clinical frame, the potential value of psychedelic-assisted therapy is largely assumed… Read More »Are psychedelic Experiences Intrinsically Valuable?

Image credit: Health care workers at an mpox treatment center near Goma, Congo, on Aug. 17, 2024. Photo by Guerchom Ndebo / AFP via Getty Images.

Humanising the Global Response to MPox: Lessons from COVID-19 and the Humanities?

Utsa Bose (Faculty of History, University of Oxford); Alberto Giubilini (Uehiro Oxford Institute, University of Oxford) Tolulope Osayomi (Department of Geography, University of Ibadan; AfOx-TORCH Visiting Fellow, University of Oxford) Crossposted from TORCH Medical Humanities Blog. This post is also the basis of a workshop on 21 November 2024, to be held at the University of… Read More »Humanising the Global Response to MPox: Lessons from COVID-19 and the Humanities?

Trampolining Whilst Pregnant And Women’s Autonomy

Written by Rebecca Brown There has been plenty of debate about women’s right to choose how they give birth. Some of it stems from the negative experiences of women who have felt unable to have the birth they want, instead being pressured or even coerced into delivering their child according to health professionals’ preferences. At… Read More »Trampolining Whilst Pregnant And Women’s Autonomy

Humanizing Chatbots Is Hard To Resist — But Why?

Written by Madeline G. Reinecke (@mgreinecke) You might recall a story from a few years ago, concerning former Google software engineer Blake Lemoine. Part of Lemoine’s job was to chat with LaMDA, a large language model (LLM) in development at the time, to detect discriminatory speech. But the more Lemoine chatted with LaMDA, the more… Read More »Humanizing Chatbots Is Hard To Resist — But Why?

PRESS RELEASE: Oxford-led Study Calls for End to “Medically Unnecessary” Intersex Surgeries

New International Consensus Calls for Healthcare Providers to Stop Performing Medically Unnecessary Genital Surgeries in Prepubertal Children and Infants, Regardless of Sex or Gender

A new study led by researchers at the University of Oxford’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics published today in the American Journal of Bioethics argues that all children (defined in the study as prepubertal minors) should be equally protected from medically unnecessary, non-voluntary genital cutting or surgery performed by healthcare providers – including children born with intersex traits.

Read More »PRESS RELEASE: Oxford-led Study Calls for End to “Medically Unnecessary” Intersex Surgeries