The University of Oxford has announced the establishment of the Human-Centered AI Lab (HAI Lab), a research initiative supported by the Cosmos Institute. The lab will create a space for technologists and philosophers to collaborate on translating philosophical concepts into open-source software and AI systems, fostering a community for big-picture thinking about a future of AI that enhances human flourishing.
The Cosmos Institute, while new to the public, has already received the support of distinguished figures as Founding Fellows, including economist Tyler Cowen and Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark.
The non-profit’s mission aligns with Oxford's tradition of fostering intellectual rigor and ethical responsibility. Through research, fellowships, grants, and education, Cosmos aims to cultivate a new generation of technologists and entrepreneurs equipped with deep philosophical thinking to navigate the uncharted territory of our AI age.
The HAI Lab will be located within Oxford's Institute for Ethics in AI, part of the Faculty of Philosophy, and will eventually move to its permanent location in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, anticipated to open in the autumn of 2025.
It will be led by Professor Philipp Koralus, who has been appointed as the inaugural McCord Professor of Philosophy and AI. Professor Koralus, renowned for his research into human reasoning, will guide the lab's mission to create a "philosophy-to-code pipeline." This approach will bring together leading philosophers and AI practitioners to embed concepts such as reason, decentralisation, and human autonomy into the AI technologies that are shaping the world.
'We aim to cultivate a new class of philosopher-technologists,' said Professor Koralus. 'These are individuals who ask how to build systems that truly contribute to human well-being. Both philosophy and engineering require learning by doing. In one case this means engaging in the right kind of dialogue with people, in the other case it means experimenting with building something. Both require more than passive study.'
'Oxford has long been at the forefront of world-defining philosophical inquiry. The launch of the HAI Lab reinforces our dedication to ensuring that AI technologies contribute to human flourishing,' said Brendan McCord, founder and chair of the Cosmos Institute. 'Our founding support of the HAI Lab and the endowment of the first Professorship of Philosophy and AI will help guide the development of AI, ensuring that it enhances rather than detracts from human potential.'
Image provided by TORCH at University of Oxford