Oxford Future of Humanity Institute

(Website under construction. Will be located at www.oxfhi.ox.ac.uk)

Director: Dr. Nick Bostrom

Newly established, the Oxford Future of Humanity Institute is set up as part of the James Martin School for the 21st Century at Oxford University.

The Institute aims to become humanity's best effort at understanding its own long-term prospects. OXFHI will study how anticipated technological developments may change human beings and transform the human condition.

OXFHI will take a multi-disciplinary approach, using scientific research methods, philosophical techniques, and ethical analysis. It will focus on big picture issues for humanity, put them in perspective, and identify high-leverage points where a moderate investment of resources could bring enormous benefits. In addition to pursuing its foundational research mission, the OXFHI will work to facilitate public engagement and informed discussion among stakeholders in industry, academia, and the non-profit sector.

The Institute will pursue an evolving research agenda. Its initial research portfolio includes the following programs:

Global catastrophic risks

  • What are the biggest threats to the survival of the human species?
  • Which other risks could have globally catastrophic ramifications?
  • How probable are such disasters?
  • What methodological tools are needed to study them?
  • Are there cost-effective ways to reduce risks?

Maximizing human potential

  • How can we use science, medicine, and technology to maximize our human potential in areas such as cognitive functioning, healthy lifespan, mood and motivation, and reproductive choices?
  • How do different kinds of interventions interact?
  • How can we predict whether an intervention will genuinely improve our lives?

Ethics and public perception of human enhancement

  • How do different people and different cultures evaluate possible changes in the human condition?
  • What factors influence our judgments about the desirability of human enhancement?
  • Are these judgments justified?
  • What biases are present when we think about these issues?
  • What are the implications for public policy?

The impacts of future technologies and human transformation

  • How would radical technologies such as molecular manufacturing or artificial intelligence influence the human future?
  • What are the long-term consequences of changing human nature?
  • What does the big picture look like? Dystopian and utopian scenarios?
  • What can we conclude from alleged probabilistic coherence-constraints such as the simulation argument, the doomsday argument, and considerations related to the Fermi paradox?

OXFHI will combine results from the four programs to draw conclusions of practical relevance. By tackling these big picture issues, the Institute will supply an essential background that is missing from contemporary bioethical and biopolitical discussions.

Vacancies

OXFHI will be looking to fill several academic and administrative vacancies. Job ads and further particulars will be posted in the near future.

Contact details

Dr. Nick Bostrom is available for media interviews.

e-mail: [email protected]
personal website: www.nickbostrom.com