Prof. Dr. Catrin Misselhorn

Since 2019 Professor of Philosophy at the Georg-August University of Göttingen; 2012-2019 Chair of Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Stuttgart; 2010-2011 Visiting and Adjunct Professorships a.o.. at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the University of Zurich; 2007-2008 Feodor Lynen Fellow at the Center of Affective Sciences in Geneva as well as at the Collège de France and the Institut Jean Nicod for Cognitive Sciences in Paris; 2003 Doctoral degree and 2010 Habilitation in Philosophy at the University of Tübingen as assistant professor to Prof. Dr. Manfred Frank; 1991-1998 academic education at the University of Tübingen and at the University of North-Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Philosophy of science and technology, philosophy of mind, language and culture.

• Philosophical problems of artificial intelligence
• Robot and machine ethics
• Integrative philosophy of science, art and technology
• Ethical Evaluation of Technologies (ELSI)
• Empathy in ethical, aesthetic and technological contexts

Books

• Künstliche Intelligenz – das Ende der Kunst?, Reclam: Stuttgart 2023. Link
• Künstliche Intelligenz und Empathie. Vom Leben mit Emotionserkennung, Sexrobotern & Co [Artificial Intelligence and Empathy. Living with Emotion Recognition, Sex Robots & Co], Reclam: Stuttgart 2021. Link.
• Grundfragen der Maschinenethik [Basic Issues in Machine Ethics], Reclam: Stuttgart 2018 (5th edition 2022). Link.
• Emotional Machines: Perspectives Affective Computing and Emotional Human-Machine Interaction, Springer: Wiesbaden 2023, ed. together with Tobias Störzinger and Tom Poljansek. Link
• Collective Agency and Cooperation in Natural and Artificial Systems. Explanation, Implementation and Simulation. Philosophical Studies Series 122 (2015).

Articles (in English)

• Seeing Others as Ends in Themselves: The Empathic and the Moral Point of View, in: Empathy’s Role in Understanding Persons, Literature, and Art, ed. by Th. Petraschka und Ch. Werner, London 2023 (open access). Link
• Is Empathy with Robots Morally Relevant?, in: Emotional Machines – New Perspectives on Affective Computing and Emotional Human-Machine Interaction, ed. by C. Misselhorn, T. Poljansek und T. Störzinger, Wiesbaden 2023. Link
• Ethics by Chat? Die großen Sprachmodelle im Kontext der Maschinenethik, in: Praefaktisch.De. Ein Philosophieblog (2023). Link.
• Three Ethical Arguments against Autonomous Weapon Systems. In: Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications, ed. by R. Hakli, P. Mäkelä, J. Seibt 2023, 24-34. Link
• Artificial Moral Agents. Conceptual Issues and Ethical Controversy, in: The Cambridge Handbook of Responsible Artificial Intelligence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, ed. by S. Voeneky et al., Cambridge 2022, 31-49 (open access).
• Artificial Systems with Moral Capacities? A Research Design and its Implementation in a Geriatric Care System, in: Artificial Intelligence (278), January 2020, 103179. Link.
• Musil's Metaphilosophical View: Between Philosophical Naturalism and Philosophy as Literature, in: The Monist 97 (2014), 104-121.

Complete list of publications to download.

• 19.10.23: 3sat Kulturzeit Talk über KI & Digitalisierung auf der Literaturbühne von ARD, ZDF und 3sat.(talk about AI & digitalisation on the literature stage of ARD, ZDF and 3sat)
• 23.09.23: Und jeden Morgen hofft der Mensch. Gespräch mit Catrin Misselhorn, Philipp Blom und Christian Drieß (And every morning man hopes. Conversation with Catrin Misselhorn, Philipp Blom and Christian Drieß), in: Salzburger Nachrichten vom 23.09.23, S. 2.
• KI und die Zukunft des Journalismus (AI and the future of journalism). Keynote and panel discussion, General Consulate Istanbul
• Schöne neue Welt: KI und Meinungsfreiheit (Brave New World: AI and freedom of speech). Keynote and panel discussion, German Embassy in Ankara
• Mensch, Maschine, Moral. Die Geschichte der künstlichen Intelligenz (Human, machine and morality. The history of AI), discussion with Catrin Misselhorn (radio):
• Catrin Misselhorn in ARD Alpha Podium (TV): Sind intelligente Roboter soziale Wesen? (How social are intelligent robots?)
• Catrin Misselhorn in the TV-documentary „Ich rechne also bin ich“ (I am calculating ergo being)
• Robots in a Quandary – How Artificial Intelligence Can Master Moral Dilemmas Sparx Talk
• Catrin Misselhorn in the TV-documentary „Werden wir Roboter lieben?“ (Will we love robots?)
• „Künstliche Intelligenz allein wird uns nicht retten“ (AI alone will not save us), discussion with Catrin Misselhorn and the writer Raphaela Edelbauer (radio)
• • Europas Demokratie in Zeiten des digitalen Umbruchs – Europe's Democracy in Times of Digital Transformation“, discussion with Catrin Misselhorn, Alexander Kluge (author and film director), Katharina Barley, A (vicepresident of the European Parliament), Paul Nemitz (chief adviser of the EU-Commission).
• Philosophie im 21. Jahrhunderts, Catrin Misselhorn über Maschinenethik - Relevanz der Philosophie in der heutigen Zeit #2 (Philosophy in the 21st century. Catrin Misselhorn on machine ethics)
• KI und Neurorobotik (AI and neurorobotics)
• Maschinen, die Gefühle zeigen (Emotional machines), , interview with Catrin Misselhorn in „Sein und Streit“ auf Deutschlandfunk Kultur.
• Serie KI und Kultur: Können Roboter Gefühle haben? (Can robots have feelings?), interview with Catrin Misselhorn in WDR 3 Mosaik.
• Dürfen Maschinen Menschen töten? (Are machines allowed to kill humans?) , TV-Interview with Catrin Misselhorn for DWC-TV.
• Funkkolleg extra: Catrin Misselhorn im Gespräch (Catrin Misselhorn in conversation).
• Wie real ist «Blade Runner»? - «Entscheide über Leben und Tod überlasse ich ungern Maschinen» (How real is «Blade Runner»?), interview with Catrin Misselhorn, Swiss TV.
• Programmierte Ethik. Künstliche Intelligenz ohne Entscheidungsspielräume (programmed ethics), interview with Catrin Misselhorn in TV Diskurs.
• An den Grenzen der Moral (At the moral limits), interview with Catrin Misselhorn in: ADAC Motorwelt May 2019.
• Artficial Morality, interview Catrin Misselhorn, DWIH New York.
• Roboterethik – haben Maschinen Moral? (robot ethics – do machines have morals?) , interview with Catrin Misselhorn for SWR2 Wissen: Aula vom 22.04.2019.
• Catrin Misselhorn in Gesprächszeit bei Radio Bremen: 04.12.2018.
• Maschinen mit der Fähigkeit zu moralischem Handeln (machines with moral capacities), interview with Catrin Misselhorn, Frankfurter Rundschau (print).
• Talk am Dom, 20.09.2018
• Intelligenten Maschinen gehört die Zukunft. Aber wie denken die eigentlich? Und müssen wir uns davor fürchten? (Do we have to be afraid of a future with intelligent machines?), interview with Catrin Misselhorn, DIE ZEIT (print).