Rotman Institute of Philosophy - 2026 Annual Fall Lectures: Agency & AI

The Rotman Institute of Philosophy is pleased to present the 2026 Annual Fall Lecture Series:

"Agency & AI"

What does human agency mean in a world where AI systems are becoming increasingly integrated into everyday life? Where does human agency begin and end? What are the risks and impacts of treating AI as agents? Can AI systems be designed to support and strengthen human agency and capacity-building rather than replace or diminish them?

This year's series brings together leading scholars and thinkers to explore these and related questions from a range of perspectives. Join us each Thursday in October for five engaging lectures examining one of the most important philosophical issues of our time.

As part of the Rotman Institute's commitment to public philosophy, each lecture will be hosted at a different venue across London. These community-based events are designed to bring together scholars, industry professionals, students, community organizations, and members of the public for thoughtful conversations that connect philosophical inquiry with contemporary challenges and everyday life.

Speaker: Carson Johnston

Title: Agency in the Wild: Can we Trust our Instincts?

Abstract: Humans are relentless mind-readers. We see intentions in our pets, personalities in our cars, and minds in chatbots. This talk asks whether that tendency (called anthropomorphism) is purely a liability when we try to assess the agency of modern AI systems, or whether it can also be used to our advantage. The talk distinguishes two faces of anthropomorphism: one cognitive, one epistemic. The cognitive face is our ingrained disposition to detect agents and to overattribute agency. It becomes a serious risk when AI systems are not agents but are deliberately designed to seem human, and it is a bias we would need to control for carefully. But suppose advanced AI systems really are becoming agents. How do we know when our instincts are reliable? That is the work of the epistemic face, whose job is to stress-test our attributions of agency in hard cases like AI.

Join us in the Bruce B. Johnson Theatre at 7:00pm. Doors open at 6:00pm. All are welcome to this free event.

This is Lecture Two in a Five-Part Series. Click here for full series details.