[{"content":" The most common path in our community. Companies building AI need people who can reason carefully about fairness, harm and responsibility, and philosophers are trained for that. The work ranges from advising engineers on a specific system to writing the policies a whole company follows. What matters day to day is conceptual precision (what does \u0026ldquo;fair\u0026rdquo; mean in this system?), evaluating arguments, and translating principles into decisions other people can act on.\nThe lay of the land # Four kinds of employer hire here. Big tech companies have responsible-AI and policy teams sitting alongside the engineers. Consultancies and auditors check other companies\u0026rsquo; AI systems. Policy institutes and non-profits work on the rules. And startups sometimes hire one person to cover all of it. Roles are advertised as AI ethics researcher, responsible AI analyst, AI policy analyst, AI governance manager or trust \u0026amp; safety analyst. Fresh graduates usually get in through research-assistant roles, fellowships, or volunteer communities like ForHumanity, which count as experience. A sensible start: take a free course, follow the field\u0026rsquo;s news, and publish something about the ethics of one concrete system.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Geoff KeelingBioethicist at GooglePhD in Philosophy, University of Bristol Alessandra Fassio — our interview about getting into AI and data ethics (Part 1) Katie Evans — our interview about working in AI and data ethics (Part 2) Ravit Dotan, PhD — UC Berkeley philosophy PhD who advises startups and investors on AI ethics; spoke at our July 2022 workshop From our events # From Philosophy to AI Ethics with Ravit Dotan (July 2022) Bioethics and Ethics Consulting for Tech Companies with Geoff Keeling (November 2021) Philosophy in the AI Industry (May 2021) and AI Ethics (April 2021) Start here # Our two-part interview series on AI and data ethics careers ForHumanity: Embodying Everything We\u0026rsquo;ve Learned — how to get involved with the AI-auditing community ForHumanity, including their free Algorithm Ethics course Ravit Dotan\u0026rsquo;s starter resources — FAQs on starting out and how to follow the field The opportunities board — AI governance and policy roles appear there regularly Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/ai-data-ethics/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"The most common path in our community: working out what counts as fair or harmful in AI systems.","title":"AI \u0026 Data Ethics","type":"paths"},{"content":" Some organisations pay for ethical judgement directly: advisory firms, in-house ethics teams and university-affiliated consultancies all hire philosophers to do applied ethics for a living. Of all the fields on this site, this one is closest to academic philosophy in daily content. You analyse real cases, structure trade-offs, and write recommendations, except the audience is boards and regulators rather than journals. A PhD is common here and, unusually for the non-academic world, counts in your favour at face value.\nThe lay of the land # The work has three homes. Dedicated ethics consultancies, like Principia Advisory, sell ethical judgement as their whole product. University-based centres, like the IDEA Centre at Leeds, consult outward from academia. And large consultancies have growing digital-ethics practices inside them, like the one Kevin Macnish runs at Sopra Steria (see the Management Consulting guide for that world). Day to day it\u0026rsquo;s client workshops, written frameworks and a lot of turning \u0026ldquo;it depends\u0026rdquo; into something a board can act on. Roles are advertised as ethics consultant, research governance adviser, digital ethics analyst or responsible business consultant. The teams are small and openings are rare, so following the handful of firms directly works better than job boards.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Christine JakobsonAssociate Principal, Principia AdvisoryPhD in Philosophy, University of Cambridge Jim BaxterEthics Consultancy Lead, IDEA Centre, University of LeedsPhD in Philosophy, University of Leeds Dr Kevin Macnish — digital-ethics consulting senior manager at Sopra Steria, former GCHQ analyst, author of The Ethics of Surveillance; spoke at our October 2022 workshop From our events # From Philosophy to Ethics Consulting with Dr Kevin Macnish (October 2022) Ethics Consulting with Christine Jakobson (October 2021) Professional Ethics Consultancy with Jim Baxter (July 2021) Start here # Follow the firms directly: Principia Advisory and the IDEA Centre hire philosophers; larger consultancies have digital-ethics practices Philosophy Means Business — on philosophers building the value frameworks (ESG, EDI, CSR) that companies commit to The opportunities board — ethics consultancies appear there as they hire Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/ethics-consulting/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"Advising organisations on ethics questions, as a job. The field closest to the seminar room.","title":"Ethics Consulting","type":"paths"},{"content":" Management consulting is the classic structured route out of a humanities degree. Companies pay firms for clear thinking about hard problems, and the firms hire smart generalists, philosophers included, to supply it. The daily work is taking apart a messy question (\u0026ldquo;why is this division losing money?\u0026rdquo;), testing each part against evidence, and presenting a recommendation you can defend. Unlike most fields on this site, consulting has a well-marked front door: graduate schemes, defined interview formats, yearly intakes.\nThe lay of the land # The industry has tiers. The strategy firms known as MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) sit at the top of the prestige ladder. The Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) are built on audit and tax but run large consulting arms. Below and beside them are boutiques specialising in one industry or function. You join as a business analyst, associate consultant or graduate consultant, work in small teams on projects lasting a few weeks to a few months, and the ladder to engagement manager and partner is explicit. The entry hurdle is the case interview, where you solve a business problem out loud. It rewards structured thinking and surfacing your assumptions, which philosophers practise anyway, and it\u0026rsquo;s learnable; the firms publish their own prep materials. Many people treat consulting as a first chapter and leave after two or three years for strategy roles, startups or policy, taking the toolkit and the network with them.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Dr Kevin Macnish — digital-ethics consulting senior manager at Sopra Steria. His role shows one route philosophers take into big consultancies: the ethics and responsible-tech practices growing inside them. He spoke at our October 2022 workshop Christine Jakobson — Associate Principal at Principia Advisory, where the advisory model is applied to ethics itself; see the Ethics Consulting guide We haven\u0026rsquo;t run an event on mainstream strategy consulting yet. If you\u0026rsquo;ve made that journey, we\u0026rsquo;d like to tell your story.\nFrom our events # From Philosophy to Ethics Consulting with Dr Kevin Macnish (October 2022) — the consultancy world seen from its ethics practice Start here # Philosophy Means Business — the case for philosophers inside companies; the same argument works in consulting interviews Case-interview prep is free and public: every major firm publishes practice cases on its careers site If the ethics practices inside these firms are what interest you, read Ethics Consulting Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/consulting/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"Business problem-solving in small teams. The most structured route in, and a common first chapter.","title":"Management Consulting","type":"paths"},{"content":" Risk work is reasoning under uncertainty: weighing unlikely but serious scenarios and making decision frameworks explicit. Philosophers do it inside tech companies and at research institutes studying the largest risks. Two versions of this path showed up in our community. One is industry risk work: trust \u0026amp; safety, risk prevention and integrity teams at large tech companies. The other is catastrophic-risk research: institutes and think tanks working on AI risk, biorisk and other global threats, a field with deep philosophical roots.\nThe lay of the land # On the industry side, every large tech company runs teams whose job is preventing harm on and through the platform. They sit alongside engineering and policy and hire analysts who can think carefully about edge cases at scale. Roles are advertised as risk analyst, trust \u0026amp; safety analyst, integrity specialist or risk prevention specialist. On the research side, a small world of institutes works on the largest threats; the roles are research assistant, researcher and program associate, and hiring often goes through fellowships and advising programs rather than open postings. Industry pays better and teaches operations; research is closer to philosophy and has fewer seats. Either way, a good first move is joining a structured conversation program like GCRI\u0026rsquo;s below. This field talks to newcomers.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # McKenna FitzgeraldDeputy Director, Global Catastrophic Risk InstituteBA in Philosophy, UC Berkeley Noam Maoz — MA in Philosophy of Technology (Tel-Aviv), risk prevention specialist in tech at Meta, long-time Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi community member; spoke at our April 2023 workshop From our events # Operationalising Philosophy for Risk with Noam Maoz (April 2023) Ethics for Preventing Global Catastrophe with McKenna Fitzgerald (April 2022) Start here # Useful Resources for a Career in Risk and Tech — our round-up for philosophers looking at risk roles The Global Catastrophic Risk Institute runs a recurring Advising and Collaboration Program, a low-commitment way to talk to people in the field The 80,000 Hours job board carries most catastrophic-risk and AI-governance openings; see the opportunities board Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/risk/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"Risk teams in tech companies, and research institutes working on large-scale threats.","title":"Risk \u0026 Catastrophic Risk","type":"paths"},{"content":" Decentralised systems are institutions built from scratch: governance, dispute resolution, incentive design. The questions are recognisably philosophical, and our community has landed founders, fellows and interns in the space. This corner of tech is unusually open to outsiders with sharp conceptual skills. Projects are young, credentials matter less than clear thinking, and problems like \u0026ldquo;how should a decentralised court work?\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;what makes a token system fair?\u0026rdquo; reward exactly the training a philosophy degree provides.\nThe lay of the land # The label covers everything from two-person protocol startups to established payment companies. The roles philosophers tend to fill are in research (analysing how a protocol\u0026rsquo;s incentives behave), governance (designing and running the decision-making of decentralised organisations), operations and community at young startups, and writing, since the industry runs on explainers and documentation. Search for protocol researcher, governance analyst, research analyst, community lead or technical writer. Teams are small and flat, so expect several hats rather than a ladder. Outsiders usually become insiders by contributing in public, and the communities and free courses below are the standard way in.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Christina Norgard Rud — Philosophy \u0026amp; Public Policy MSc (LSE), co-founder of Squid, a cross-chain liquidity router; spoke at our May 2023 workshop Federico Ast — co-founder and CEO of Kleros, the decentralised justice protocol; spoke at our \u0026ldquo;Future of Law-Tech\u0026rdquo; event Fotis Tsiroukis — PhD candidate in Philosophy of Open Science (Exeter), KERNEL fellow working on crypto privacy and decentralised science After our Kleros events, community member Andy Chan got an internship at Federico\u0026rsquo;s firm and Paul Poenicke won the Kleros Justice Fellowship. Their accounts are on the about page.\nFrom our events # Philosophers Working in Decentralised Finance with Christina Norgard Rud (May 2023) Web3 Needs Philosophers with Fotis Tsiroukis (November 2022) The Future of Law-Tech with Federico Ast (June 2022) Start here # Web3 Needs Philosophers — Resources to Get You Started — free MOOCs on DeFi and digital currency, Kleros\u0026rsquo; videos on building in the space, and communities to join Investing in this space is its own path; see Venture Capital. So is building a company here; see Entrepreneurship \u0026amp; Startups Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/blockchain-fintech/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"Young companies building financial and governance systems from scratch, where arguments still beat credentials.","title":"Blockchain \u0026 Fintech","type":"paths"},{"content":" Venture capital is judgement under uncertainty as a full-time job: deciding which unlikely-sounding company is worth backing. Two Oxford philosophy graduates in our community run a fund, and the daily work looks familiar to anyone who has written a philosophy essay. An investment memo defends a debatable claim against objections. Due diligence is structured scepticism. The investors who do well hold strong views, update honestly on evidence, and can explain why the consensus might be wrong. None of that requires a finance degree.\nThe lay of the land # VC firms raise money from investors and put it into young companies in exchange for equity. The teams are small, often under ten people. Juniors work as analysts and associates: finding companies, researching markets, writing memos. Principals and partners make the final calls and sit on boards. There are also platform roles, which run the fund\u0026rsquo;s community and support its companies. There is no standard entry route; funds hire ex-founders, ex-consultants and sharp generalists, which means no box to tick but also no box to be excluded by. People who get noticed usually think in public first, for example by publishing their own analyses of markets or startups.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Steven Robinson \u0026amp; Guanlan Mao — Oxford philosophy and PPE graduates leading ARKN Ventures, a blockchain-focused, research-driven VC firm. At our October 2022 workshop they talked about the move from philosophy to VC and how they use philosophical skills in the work From our events # Investing in Norm-Subverting Tech with Steven Robinson \u0026amp; Guanlan Mao (October 2022) Start here # If the technology side of early investing interests you, read this together with Blockchain \u0026amp; Fintech. If you\u0026rsquo;d rather build than invest, read Entrepreneurship \u0026amp; Startups Philosophy Means Business — the general case for philosophical skills in commercial settings The opportunities board — analyst and research roles surface there Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/venture-capital/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"Evaluating early startups for an investment fund. The core output is written argument.","title":"Venture Capital","type":"paths"},{"content":" Philosophers start companies. Several founders in our community began with a philosophy degree, and Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi itself was started by philosophy graduates. Founding rewards reasoning from first principles rather than copying what exists, holding a conviction while taking brutal feedback seriously, and explaining a new idea clearly enough that people fund it, join it and buy it. Nobody asks a founder for their degree certificate.\nThe lay of the land # A startup\u0026rsquo;s life runs in stages: an idea, a first version built by a handful of people (the seed stage), then growth rounds as it finds paying users. You don\u0026rsquo;t have to found one to work at one. Early employees do a bit of everything, and the titles are loose: founding team, chief of staff, operations lead, generalist. The trade-off is honest: more ownership and faster learning than any graduate scheme, less stability and less structure. Two common ways in are joining an early team to learn how the machine works, and starting something small and public yourself: a newsletter, a community, a tool. Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi began exactly that way.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Kathryn Mecrow-FlynnCEO and President, Magnify MentoringBuilt and runs a mentoring organisation Konrad UrbanCo-founder, Let\u0026#39;s Phi; runs PeanutFounder with a philosophy background Christina Norgard Rud — co-founded Squid, a cross-chain liquidity startup; at our May 2023 workshop she talked about co-founding, fundraising and working in a fast-moving space Federico Ast — founded Kleros, which turned a philosophical question about just arbitration into a working protocol and company From our events # Philosophers Working in Decentralised Finance with Christina Norgard Rud — includes the co-founding and fundraising story (May 2023) The Future of Law-Tech with Federico Ast (June 2022) Start here # Philosophy Means Business — the skills case you\u0026rsquo;ll be making to co-founders, investors and yourself Watch how founders in our community explain their companies; Kleros\u0026rsquo; videos on building in the space are a good example of making a new idea understandable If you\u0026rsquo;d rather fund builders than be one, read Venture Capital Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/entrepreneurship-startups/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"Starting a company, or joining one early. Several people in this community have done it.","title":"Entrepreneurship \u0026 Startups","type":"paths"},{"content":" Writing is probably the most common way philosophers earn a living outside academia: content marketing, business writing, public philosophy, journalism. If you can make a difficult idea clear on the page, someone will pay for it. Our first conference (\u0026ldquo;Philosophers in Media\u0026rdquo;, 200+ attendees) and one of our last workshops (content marketing) were both about this. The skills a philosophy degree drills, writing clearly, learning fast, seeing the shape of a problem, are the same ones professional writing careers run on.\nThe lay of the land # Paid writing splits into a few worlds. Content marketing, where companies publish articles and guides to win customers, is by far the biggest job market. Technical and UX writing covers documentation and product copy. Journalism and publishing are smaller and more competitive. Public philosophy, essays and books for general readers, is usually a side door rather than a first salary. Search for content marketer, content writer, copywriter, technical writer, editor or communications associate. This field cares about portfolio over credentials; three published pieces do more than any CV line. Start publishing anywhere public, and treat freelancing as the apprenticeship. That is the route Alex Yates took from a Frege dissertation to full-time content marketing.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Alex Yates, PhD — wrote a doctoral dissertation on Frege\u0026rsquo;s philosophy of logic at St Andrews, then built a career in content marketing, first freelance and then full-time; spoke at our June 2023 workshop Leonardo Werner — community contributor who published an essay on augmented reality with us From our events # From Philosophy to Content Marketing with Alex Yates (June 2023) Public Engagement and Public Writing for Philosophers with Joshua Habgood-Coote (January 2022) Philosophers in Media — full conference, 200+ attendees, 10+ speakers (March 2021) Start here # Content Marketing Resources — the follow-up round-up from Alex Yates\u0026rsquo; workshop Practise in public: our guest essays on Heidegger and digital technology and augmented reality started as community members doing exactly that Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/media-writing/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"Content marketing, journalism and other jobs where the writing is the work.","title":"Media \u0026 Writing","type":"paths"},{"content":" Recruitment in a technical field rewards fast learning, sound judgement of people and arguments, and the ability to talk to specialists without being one. One of our own team took this path. Joshua Bucheli went from a philosophy MA to chairing the ethics committee at ForHumanity and heading Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi\u0026rsquo;s community, then into cybersecurity recruitment, where he consults experts in data protection, digital forensics and IT risk. Community involvement and adjacent expertise opened a technical industry without a technical degree.\nThe lay of the land # Recruiters work either at agencies, firms like Cyberunity that fill roles for many client companies, or in-house on a company\u0026rsquo;s own talent team. Agency work is faster and more commercial; in-house is steadier and closer to the business. In a specialised field like cybersecurity, the recruiter\u0026rsquo;s real skill is learning the domain well enough to judge expertise they don\u0026rsquo;t personally have. Roles are advertised as recruitment consultant, talent acquisition specialist, sourcer or talent community manager. It is one of the more open doors on this site: agencies hire for judgement and communication and train the rest, and internships are a normal way in. Joshua\u0026rsquo;s firm offered one through us.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Joshua BucheliCybersecurity recruitment, CyberunityMA in Political, Legal and Economic Philosophy, Bern — former Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi Head of Community Joshua\u0026rsquo;s own account of the move is on the about page.\nFrom our events # From Philosophy to Cybersecurity Recruitment with Joshua Bucheli (August 2022) Start here # Cybersecurity/AI Resources \u0026amp; Advice for Jobseekers — Joshua\u0026rsquo;s round-up after the workshop ForHumanity: Embodying Everything We\u0026rsquo;ve Learned — the volunteer community that connected Joshua\u0026rsquo;s philosophy training to industry work Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/cybersecurity-recruitment/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"Finding and judging technical experts without being one. One of our own team took this path.","title":"Cybersecurity \u0026 Recruitment","type":"paths"},{"content":" Not every philosopher lands in an ethics-shaped role. Some run mentoring organisations, some build the value frameworks companies commit to, and some do ordinary business jobs unusually well. The strongest piece we\u0026rsquo;ve published on this is Philosophy Means Business. Its argument: companies increasingly stake their reputations on frameworks like ESG, diversity and inclusion, and corporate social responsibility, and philosophers are well suited to building them, because argumentation, emotional intelligence and analytical skill are business skills.\nThe lay of the land # Most jobs in most companies are not technical. Operations keeps the machine running. Programme and project management makes specific things happen on time. People teams, ESG teams and generalist roles like chief of staff round it out. Search for operations associate, programme coordinator, project manager, ESG analyst, people \u0026amp; culture associate or chief of staff. None of these titles mention philosophy; all of them reward someone who can structure ambiguity and write clearly. The mentoring and non-profit world, like Magnify Mentoring below, runs on the same roles with a mission attached. A reasonable approach: pick organisations you\u0026rsquo;d be glad to help run, apply to their generalist openings, and use Philosophy Means Business as the language for your cover letter.\nPhilosophers who\u0026rsquo;ve done it # Kathryn Mecrow-FlynnCEO and President, Magnify MentoringBachelor of Law, SOAS University of London From our events # High-impact Mentoring with Kathryn Mecrow-Flynn (July 2021) Business \u0026amp; Philosophy (January 2021), Hunting for Non-Academic Jobs (February 2021) and our CV Workshop with Mind the Grad (December 2020) Start here # Philosophy Means Business — the case to make about your own degree Mutual Stress Tests — on how technology and philosophy shape each other; useful framing for tech-adjacent interviews Mentoring in both directions: Magnify Mentoring as a place to work, and the GCRI advising program as a way to find your own mentor Get the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/business-mentoring/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"The ordinary roles most organisations run on, plus mission-driven mentoring work.","title":"Business, Mentoring \u0026 Beyond","type":"paths"},{"content":"Essays, interviews and resource round-ups from the Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi newsletter. We keep the pieces that stay useful. For reading organised by career field, start with the paths. New pieces go out on Substack first.\n","date":"16 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/","section":"Articles","summary":"Essays, interviews and resource round-ups from the Let’s Phi newsletter. We keep the pieces that stay useful. For reading organised by career field, start with the paths. New pieces go out on Substack first.\n","title":"Articles","type":"posts"},{"content":" \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;ve studied philosophy? Now what?!\u0026rdquo; — We\u0026rsquo;re here to help. Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi helps philosophers find career opportunities outside of academia. Since 2020 we have run three conferences and dozens of workshops, and collected the stories of philosophers who built fulfilling careers beyond the university. Our community lives in the newsletter — 1,800+ philosophers strong.\nToday, Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi is a living library: everything stays free and open, the opportunities board is refreshed with each newsletter issue, and whenever we sit down with another philosopher who made the leap, a new story lands here and in your inbox.\nNot sure what you want to do? # Most philosophy graduates aren\u0026rsquo;t. We wrote a page for exactly that: how the job world is organised, in plain terms, questions worth asking yourself, and things you can try this month to find out more.\nI don't know what I want to do → Find your path # If a field already pulls you, each guide covers the people who\u0026rsquo;ve done it, the talks we ran about it, and where to begin:\nAI \u0026amp; Data Ethics — working out what counts as fair or harmful in AI systems Ethics Consulting — advising organisations on ethics questions, as a job Management Consulting — the standard graduate route into business problem-solving Risk \u0026amp; Catastrophic Risk — risk teams in tech, and research on large-scale threats Blockchain \u0026amp; Fintech — young companies building financial systems from scratch Venture Capital — evaluating early startups for an investment fund Entrepreneurship \u0026amp; Startups — starting a company, or joining one early Media \u0026amp; Writing — jobs where the writing is the work Cybersecurity \u0026amp; Recruitment — finding and judging technical talent, no technical degree needed Business, Mentoring \u0026amp; Beyond — the ordinary roles most organisations run on These are the paths people in our community have taken, not a complete list. We also know philosophers in law, policy, government, teaching and product management. If your path is missing, tell us about it.\nGet the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\nWhy Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi? # Philosophy attracts exceptionally intelligent people. It gives them great analytical skills, open-mindedness and a lot of stamina for going deep on a topic. Philosophy departments all over the world are great at preparing you for an academic career — but outside of academia, it\u0026rsquo;s not obvious what a philosophy graduate can do.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s Phi exists to change that. We help you leverage your philosophy skills for a non-academic career: find out how to market your degree, and get inspired by people who have already made the leap.\nMore to explore # Stories — philosophers who built careers beyond the university, in their own words Opportunities — current roles where philosophers are a good fit Articles — essays, interviews and resource round-ups from the newsletter Events — the archive of our conferences, workshops and talks About — who runs Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi, what members say, and how to get involved Share your story # Did you study philosophy and build a career outside academia? Your path is exactly what a philosophy student somewhere is trying to picture right now. We\u0026rsquo;d love to interview you — one relaxed conversation, and we turn it into a story for the library and the newsletter.\nReach out to Konrad on LinkedIn to set it up.\n","date":"16 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/","section":"Beyond Academic Philosophy","summary":" “I’ve studied philosophy? Now what?!” — We’re here to help. Let’s Phi helps philosophers find career opportunities outside of academia. Since 2020 we have run three conferences and dozens of workshops, and collected the stories of philosophers who built fulfilling careers beyond the university. Our community lives in the newsletter — 1,800+ philosophers strong.\n","title":"Beyond Academic Philosophy","type":"page"},{"content":"Hi Phiers,\nAre you passionate about writing and creating content? Would you like to harness your writing skills outside academia but don’t know how? If yes, then, a career in content marketing might be just the right fit for you!\nYesterday we hosted an online career workshop on content marketing. Alex Yates (PhD) told us all about how he built his career in content marketing with a philosophy background.\nAlex emphasised that the ability to learn fast, write clearly, and see the big picture, which philosophy students acquire during their studies, have proven invaluable for a professional business writing career.\nAnd there are many more ways in which a Humanities degree can be put to good use in the content marketing world. Read about the 10 ways that Humanities advance content marketing.\nYou might be worried that transitioning out of academia won’t allow you to ‘do’ philosophy anymore. Can you still read philosophy and think about hard questions the way you do now? Turns out you can! Here’s how Alex creatively reapplied some bits of philosophy to business.\nWe hope you find these resources useful. If you couldn’t attend yesterday’s events, they should get you up to speed with being a philosopher trying to break into the content marketing field.\nAlex is willing to answer all the questions you might have about this line of work. You can contact him on LinkedIn or email him (alexander.yates4@gmail.com) if you’d like to network and chat about writing for business.\nThanks for supporting us, showing up to our events and sharing our posts. We hope you find our work useful.\nDon’t forget to visit our website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#contentmarketing #copywriting #freelancing #freelancer #writing #businesswriting #philosophydegree #philosophy #networking #careeradvice #careerevent #onlineevent #networkingevent\nOriginally published on Substack by Ludovica Adamo.\n","date":"16 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/content-marketing-resources/","section":"Articles","summary":"Thank you for attending our events and supporting us","title":"Content Marketing Resources","type":"posts"},{"content":"Hey Phiers,\nHave you ever wondered what the difference between ‘virtual reality’ and ‘augmented reality’ is? Or what we can do and achieve with AR? And what does philosophy have to say about recent developments in AR? If you’re interested in the philosophy of technology and are curious about recent technological developments, this blog post is for you. Keep on reading to find out more about AR and how Leonardo Werner, kindly interviewed by our collaborator Jennifer Waters, is incorporating technology into his philosophical studies.\nJen: What’s your background, Leonardo? # Leonardo: I am above all a very curious person interested in a wide variety of topics- my background speaks for itself! Let me start by saying that in the past couple of years, I\u0026rsquo;ve been doing a master\u0026rsquo;s in Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society, at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.\nHowever, I have a bachelor\u0026rsquo;s degree in Law and have worked in areas where Law was not my core activity. During the 2020 pandemic, I started reading a lot of books about existential and political philosophy, but also books regarding the role of modern technologies in our society. The pandemic offered that moment to pause and reflect on everything we, as individuals, and as a society, have been doing, living a frenetic and busy life. One of those readings was Homo Deus, by Yuval Harari, and I should say that, if it wasn\u0026rsquo;t for this book, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be where I am right now. The first time I heard about the term \u0026ldquo;philosophy of technology\u0026rdquo; was in his book. Suddenly, I thought that was the next thing I needed to do. I started looking for programs directly on it, and found out that only the University of Twente offered a master\u0026rsquo;s degree in that precise field – here I am now!\nJen: What is the difference between augmented and virtual reality? # Leonardo: That\u0026rsquo;s a good question since many people still think they are roughly the same, but augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are two distinct technologies that offer different types of user experiences.\nAR involves overlaying digital content (such as images, videos, 2D or 3D models) onto the real world, typically using a smartphone, a headset with a camera, or even glasses. The digital content appears as if it is part of the physical environment, and users can interact with it in real time. For example, an AR app might allow you to point your smartphone camera at a room and see virtual furniture that appears to be sitting in the space.\nOn the other hand, VR is a completely immersive experience that transports users to a virtual environment. This is typically achieved through the use of a headset with a screen that completely fills the user\u0026rsquo;s field of view. The user can look around and interact with the virtual environment, but they are completely cut off from the real world.\nIn short, AR \u0026ldquo;enhances\u0026rdquo; the real world with digital elements, while VR creates a completely virtual environment.\nJen: What are some developments in augmented reality as we speak? # Leonardo: AR technology is not something very new, but only in recent years it has gained some popularity. For example, Instagram\u0026rsquo;s and TikTok camera filters use AR technology, as well as the game PokemonGO, which was launched back in 2016. However, these examples of AR applications are still limited to handheld devices, like a smartphone or a tablet.\nThe full potential of AR is yet to be developed, but it starts with providing a more immersive experience to the user. How will they do it? Through glasses! Large technology companies, including Meta, MagicLeap and Snap, are now investing a lot in the development of lightweight and fashionable glasses that are capable of delivering a totally new computing experience to the user.\nThe challenges though, are many, from technical (hardware development) to non-technical ones (are consumers willing to wear AR glasses in their daily lives?). On the technical side, however, there have been promising results in the field of computer vision (see Meta\u0026rsquo;s Project Aria), which brings contextualised, real-time information to the person who is wearing the glasses. On the non-technical side, it has been surveyed, in 2022, that 93% of daily Snapchat users are interested in AR technology for immersive shopping experiences. It\u0026rsquo;s important to mention that 20% of Snapchat users are aged between 13-17, and 38% are aged between 18-24 (DataReportal, 2023).\nI mention these figures because they already got the attention of brands interested in advertising their products and services on Snapchat using AR technology.\nJen: What kinds of risks and benefits do you identify with such developments and with augmented reality in general? # Leonardo: AR has the potential to bring numerous benefits. For instance, it can help aid workers in rescue operations, engineers and architects to visualise new buildings, it can facilitate archaeological research, and improve medical diagnosis to mention just a few. In that respect, AR technology can truly enhance human cognitive capabilities by expanding and enriching the physical environment with overlaid digital elements in 2D or 3D.\nMy main concerns with the use of AR, however, are not so much related to these domain applications. The risks I envision are more closely related to a scenario where AR glasses become a mainstream consumer product, just like our smartphones. I have just mentioned the advertising market that is opening in the AR world, so we have to consider the attention economy and surveillance capitalist models that are currently predominantly in the tech industry. We know how distracting our smartphones are, calling for our attention through notifications, messages from friends, e-mails, pop-up ads, etc. Imagine wearing a pair of AR glasses that can display all that directly to our eyes.\nHere, the AR features are likely to be ambiguous, bringing, of course, useful functions for the user, but also some features that may undermine (instead of enhance), the individual\u0026rsquo;s natural cognitive capabilities, especially considering the attention economy and surveillance capitalist models that are currently predominant in the tech industry.\nSo if companies manage to sell fashionable and lightweight AR glasses to regular consumers, the power they will have to mediate what consumers are literally seeing throughout the day is unprecedented. Imagine, for example, that the eye-tracking technology embedded in AR glasses, allows these companies to understand at a whole new level what things catch your attention for longer, what things you are not interested in, etc. so that they can deliver hyper-personalised ads that match your preferences and desires that maybe even yourself were not consciously aware of.\nJen: What specific area is your research focused on? # Leonardo: I have been doing a lot of research in the fields of cognitive science, and focusing on the harms that AR glasses could bring to the user\u0026rsquo;s natural cognitive capabilities. So for example, I am looking at various empirical studies that have been done in the context of smartphones and human cognition. The results are a bit scary! For instance, I can mention one study that points out the fact that our ability to sustain attention in tasks that we consider important to ourselves is diminished by the mere presence of our smartphones close to us, no matter if the device is in our pockets or with the screen facing the table.\nBut beyond the harms that consumer usage of AR glasses can pose to human cognition, I have also mapped out a bunch of different ethical risks that we should be concerned about, such as its potential societal impact on increasing the phenomenon of \u0026ldquo;epistemic digital filter bubbles\u0026rdquo;, and issues regarding justice and the epistemic power asymmetry between the companies who develop these products and the end-users themselves, given the companies\u0026rsquo; ability to literally curate the reality that users will experience through the usage of AR glasses.\nJen: How does philosophy inform your approach to your research? # In my research, I am applying the Anticipatory Technology Ethics (ATE) approach, which is a method of technology assessment for emerging technologies that was developed by Philip Brey, one of my professors here at the University of Twente and now my supervisor.\nThe ATE provides a methodology to broadly map ethical risks that emerging technology may pose to individuals and society. This is done by taking into consideration ethical principles and moral values that guide a certain society (e.g. European Charter of Fundamental Rights) and future studies, which aim at anticipating the development of some technosocial trends.\nI would say that Philosophy helps me in the way I think about things, as it provides me with tools to evaluate whether my arguments are strong enough, what are the potential objections, and how I would reply to them. Such a philosophical way of thinking is helping me to critically analyse and evaluate the trade-offs brought by AR glasses and their implications to humans and society since there are no right or wrong decisions to be made.\nJen: What are the next steps both for yourself and the discussion surrounding AR? # Leonardo: As of today, we can see that public scrutiny is all about AI, especially after the release of ChatGPT. We are witnessing Google, Meta and Microsoft in a race to develop generative AI tools for various consumer applications. In that sense, discussions surrounding AR glasses are in the shadows. Most people are not closely following the steps that these same companies are taking towards developing such wearables.\nOf course, the avenues regarding how these devices are going to be developed and deployed remain open, and no one can predict whether AR glasses will become a mainstream consumer product just like our smartphones since this depends on a variety of technical and cultural factors. However, as Roy Amara reminds us through his famous sentence, known as Amara\u0026rsquo;s Law: \u0026ldquo;We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run\u0026rdquo;.\nIn that sense, we need to take into consideration the extremely fast-paced technological advancements in several areas, the arrival of younger generations as consumers, and the fact that moral and ethical values are not something static, but rather they co-evolve with material and cultural developments. With this in mind, I believe that the earlier we start looking into the potential ethical risks that AR glasses for consumers might bring the more we can try to prevent undesired and unexpected outcomes by developing precautionary measures.\nMeet the author: Jennifer Waters, Writer \u0026amp; Collaborator @Let’s Phi, as well as a valued community member.\nHuge thank you to Jen for writing the post and conducting the interview. And many thanks Leonardo for taking the time to talk to us about your research and developments in AI.\nIf you have questions on the topic or the Master’s programme at the University of Twente, Leonardo is very happy to chat on LinkedIn.\nDon’t forget to visit Let’s Phi website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#technology #philosophyoftechnology #ai #ar #vr #ethicsofai #aiethics\nOriginally published on Substack by Jennifer Waters.\n","date":"19 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/augmented-reality-benefits-and-challenges/","section":"Articles","summary":"A Philosophical Perspective from Leonardo Werner","title":"Augmented Reality: Benefits And Challenges","type":"posts"},{"content":"Hi Phiers,\nOur online career event on Operationalising Philosophy For Risk has just ended. We just wanted to thank the speaker and all those who took some time out of their busy days to attend the event. It means a lot to us when you show up and share your valuable experience and insight. I am pleased to see our community growing month by month and that many conversations happen behind the scene even after our online events.\nWe also wanted to send you some valuable resources that our speaker, Noam Maoz, and other community members have shared with us today. This can help you learn more about and work towards finding a job in tech and risk management.\nKaggle: a platform where to find useful courses on topics of your interest (including Python) paired with practical exercises to test your knowledge. Noam recommended learning and practicing data analysis as a way to boost you CV and learn a skill that is excellent to have for virtually any position. Montreal AI Ethics Institute: an international not-for-profit organisation that provides resources and education on AI Ethics. Perfect if you need a good introduction and want to dive deeper into some of the issues that are at the forefront of this ever-evolving field. Below, you can also find Noam’s slides for today’s presentation. They contain useful links to resources you might find useful if you’re interested in a career in Risk and Tech. If you haven’t had a chance to attend the event and have questions about anything in the slides, feel free to contact Noam on LinkedIn. She is very happy to connect and answers any questions you might have.\nDon’t forget to visit our website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nWe look forward to seeing you at future career events.\nBest wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#risk #techcareers #philosophersintech #meta #careeerworkshop #networking #networkingevent #onlineevent #letusphi #careeradvice\nLets Phi Workshop April23\n358KB ∙ PDF file\nOriginally published on Substack by Ludovica Adamo.\n","date":"12 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/useful-resources-for-a-career-in/","section":"Articles","summary":"Philosophers in Tech","title":"Useful Resources For A Career In Risk And Tech","type":"posts"},{"content":" Introduction # In the introduction to many EU policies concerning digital technology and digital strategy, two main points are established; 1) that a delicate balance between ‘innovation’ and ‘fairness’ is being struck, and 2) questions like \u0026lsquo;what is fairness\u0026rsquo; and \u0026lsquo;fairness for whom\u0026rsquo; are crucial to clear and effective policy development.\nThis article identifies two assumptions that aren\u0026rsquo;t necessarily guaranteed. Respectively, that the relationship between innovation and fairness is dichotomous, and that innovation is not a term subject to the same speculation as fairness. To question such assumptions, Heidegger\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;The Question Concerning Technology\u0026rsquo; is introduced as his conception of innovation challenges the current (likely neoliberal) perspective underlying digital regulation and business ethics.\nTreating \u0026lsquo;Innovation\u0026rsquo; like \u0026lsquo;Fairness\u0026rsquo; # Investigating the nature of innovation is not an obvious tangent to be made in current policy development. There is an imbalance in inquiries into fairness compared to inquiries into innovation, and this section outlines two competing views of technology and technological innovation in an attempt to introduce and contribute to discussions of technological innovation.\nThe Instrumental View (Broadly) # The instrumental view aligns with the maxim \u0026rsquo;technology is just a tool.\u0026rsquo; Heidegger claims the instrumental view considers the essence of technology to be solely instrumental, or that its nature is characterised as a mere means to an end. By considering technology to be a mere means, technology itself is conceived as neutral, and its value lies in the process of manipulation and manufacture itself. By considering technological development (innovation) as a value in and of itself, Heidegger claims that it is regarded as its own independent, and inevitable force- that technological progress is something humans ultimately don\u0026rsquo;t have control over, and can only influence by stifling it.\nThe instrumental view falls into the broader perspective (what he calls ‘standing reserve’) Heidegger considers to have originated in the Enlightenment- that humans are independent of the world and that the world is a resource to be challenged to maximise what it yields.\nHeidegger\u0026rsquo;s View (Broadly of course) # Heidegger\u0026rsquo;s view claims that the essence of technology is deeper than mere utility and is certainly not neutral. By tracing the etymology and philosophy of the Greeks, he ultimately concludes that \u0026lsquo;instrumentality\u0026rsquo; is a kind of \u0026lsquo;causality\u0026rsquo; whose ultimate essence lies in the \u0026lsquo;realm of revealing truth.\u0026rsquo; By claiming that technology\u0026rsquo;s essence lies in revealing the truth, Heidegger then expands that the truths revealed provide us with an understanding of what unifies the world.\nWhen Heidegger claims that the essence and value of technology are epistemological, he not only shifts the focus from technology as a means to what it reveals but also incorporates elements of nature and humanity into that revelation. Heidegger\u0026rsquo;s perspective on technology also relates to his rejection of the Enlightenment conception of the relationship between humans and the world. Heidegger claims that humans exist together within the world and must therefore incorporate humanity and nature into our decision-making, viewing the world not as a resource to manipulate but as a source of fundamental truth and unity. ‘Innovation’ under Heidegger\u0026rsquo;s view is not valuable in and of itself, but derives its value from being motivated by, and revealing truths about the world.\nImplications on Business Ethics # The instrumental view seems most similar to the current conception of innovation – a conception likely influenced by neoliberalist thinking. Maxims like ‘progress for progress\u0026rsquo;s sake’, ‘technology is just a tool’, and ‘regulation stifles innovation’ can be associated with the neoliberal conception of the market. Broadly speaking neoliberalism considers the market to be a natural, organic phenomenon whose integrity should be left undisturbed as much as possible. By considering the market to have a mind of its own, and by putting faith in its development, a similar attitude would be adopted for technological innovation.\nThe instrumental conception of technology holds utility as the necessary and sufficient condition for innovation– any benefit towards the environment or human beings is an extra bonus. Under the ‘standing reserve’ the path of innovation is not sensitive to the well-being of others or the world, as businesses and developments are not obliged in any way to consider public interests. This neoliberal conception renders the question ‘innovation for whom’ and considerations of environmental, equitable, or intergenerational concerns more difficult to pose, and more excessive to demand innovators be able to answer.\nBy adopting Heidegger’s perspective on technology, innovation is considered as inherently sensitive to the above-mentioned concerns as its essence exists in the realm of unification. Heidegger’s conditions for innovation change, and his departure from neoliberal conceptions of the nature of the market, imply that utility is no longer the necessary and sufficient element of ‘innovation.’ Asking innovators and entrepreneurs to identify how their pursuits account for things like the environment and aspects of humanity – ‘innovation for whom?’ – wouldn’t be considered excessive, but essential. Metrics like ESG scores or other ethical scores would no longer be considered above-and-beyond, or additions that businesses can use to stand out from the rest, but the required baseline for any business.\nRetrieved from Corporate Finance Institute\nAgainst a Dichotomy # By claiming regulation ‘balances’ innovation and fairness, policymakers inherently establish a dichotomous relationship between them – a relationship that is both unnecessary and problematic. Set in these terms, innovation becomes an independent persistent force conducive to unfairness, and regulation poses as the opposing force against industry to ensure fairness can be retained and enhanced. Considering the relationship between innovation and fairness to be dichotomous establishes an unnecessary antagonism between them, and polarises our conception of regulation and innovation.\nHeidegger’s view of innovation as a controlled inquiry with a trajectory whose merits we can assess establishes a complementary relationship between innovation and fairness. By placing truth and unity as the essence of technology, innovation can be determined by its ability to enhance our understanding of the world and others and the values we associate with its aims, one such value being ‘fairness.’ Heidegger’s is different from the neoliberal response, because it reinterprets innovation as a controllable, not external force, and considerate of environmental and humanitarian needs. The conscientiousness of Heidegger’s ‘innovation’ makes technological developments a vessel for increasing and enhancing values that can fall under fairness, such as developments that enable societal equity or environmental sustainability.\nA consequence of the complementary relationship between fairness and innovation is that regulation can be considered less of an adversary, and more of a guide. When innovation is considered an inevitable force valuable in and of itself, regulation becomes its adversary, ‘stifling’ technological progress, but when innovation is conceptualised in a more conscientious fashion, regulation becomes a useful guide whose principles inspire, rather than constrict new avenues of innovation and make the world a better place.\nConclusion # Heidegger’s reflections on the perspective we take to the development of technology provide valuable insights into the concept of ‘innovation’ and the ethical considerations it is inherently associated with. The article ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ inspires a greater sense of awareness and agency about our future and advocates a humble approach to understanding the pursuits and consequences of technology.\n[This post was written by Jennifer Waters, Writer \u0026amp; Collaborator @Let’s Phi, as well as a valued community member.]\nDon’t forget to visit Let’s Phi website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#technology #philosophy #heidegger #digitaltechnologies #innovation #instrumentalism #businessethics #fairness\nOriginally published on Substack by Jennifer Waters.\n","date":"3 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/what-would-heidegger-say-about-digital/","section":"Articles","summary":"Reflections on Innovation, Technology, and Business Ethics","title":"What Would Heidegger Say About Digital Technologies and Innovation?","type":"posts"},{"content":"Are you studying philosophy and would like to pursue a career outside of academia? Did you ever wonder what a job in AI and Data Ethics looked like and whether it could be for you? I interviewed two philosophy graduates working in AI and Data Ethics to help you answer these questions. We published Part 1 of this series already, and you can read it here. Part 2 of this series is dedicated to Katie Evans, a freelance consultant in AI Ethics who kindly agreed to answer a few questions about her profession. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when new posts like this come out!\nWho’s Katie Evans? # Katie Evans is a freelance consultant in AI Ethics. She works for IEEE and is developing ethical standards and certifications for autonomous vehicles. She also works at the International Research Center on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) as an analyst focusing on the EU legislative agenda around AI and AI policy, and at UNESCO where she was the author of UNESCO’s Graphic Novel for AI Literacy. She went to film school and has a MA in ethical and political philosophy from Sorbonne University, where she specialised in AI ethics (which was called robot or machine ethics at the time). During her PhD, she contributed to the sketch of an effective ethical crash algorithm for autonomous vehicles.\nInterview # 1. What does a typical day as an AI Ethics Consultant look like? # Katie told Let’s Phi that she takes on different clients for different projects.\n“I have multiple clients that contact me at all times of the day or night for different projects. There are lots of phone calls and emails. I travel quite a lot for public-facing work in panels and conferences for my clients. Most of the time, I am able to speak for myself, not an institution”.\nShe also told us that, after her doctorate, she was not so keen to work for a single company because of the value-conflict issue. Katie said: “As an ethical expert in AI, if you work in the private sector, (\u0026hellip;) you sometimes have to endorse statements and policies that don’t align with your principles. I was really trying to avoid that”.\n“ I TRAVEL A LOT, ANSWER A LOT OF PHONE CALLS, READ A LOT OF EMAILS AND HAVE A LOT OF DELIVERABLES.”\n2. Why did you choose to work outside of academia? # Katie’s reasons for seeking out a non-academic job revolve around issues with communication, creative writing and the academic job market.\nCommunication: Katie told us that her communicative style clashed with the expectations around communication that are taken as the norm in academia.“When I was still in academia, I had a tendency to take complex scientific concepts and explain them bluntly and simply. That was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it made for pretty nice presentations and made my work more accessible to non-philosophers. On the other hand, I caught a lot of flack for it because it was too simple. The idea for me was that if you have a concept or argument and can’t explain it to a 12-year-old, it means that you did not understand it.” Creative writing: Her writing style was also different from the way you are expected to write and deliver your content in academic settings. Katie said: “I am a creative writer. I wanted to write things that were more fun and creative and not so dry and academic and I was sometimes punished for that”. Academic job market: Katie also spoke candidly about the reality of the academic job market and how difficult it can be for people to afford to embark on this career path. She told Let’s Phi “And finally, I live in France, but I have Canadian student loans, and the French career academic path is not one that I can afford. I had to find more lucrative sources of employment. It’s a shame that you go so long getting paid so little because it weeds out a lot of people that would have been very good at the job but just can’t afford to do it”. 3. Any transferable knowledge or skills Philosophy gave you? # Katie identified two core skills that she acquired by studying philosophy. These skills routinely help her carry out projects for her clients:\nEthical knowledge: “My work at the IEEE (\u0026hellip;) on autonomous vehicles ethical standards is a direct application of my thesis.” Critical thinking: “Whenever I am with somebody who does not work in academia but is a philosopher or has worked outside of academia but is now back in it, we always sit around talking about how the stringency of analysis in philosophy makes you an incredible asset in critical thinking. Usually, even if you are not from the discipline, your insights will be much deeper only because you are used to working with many more layers of abstraction than most people. It is usually incredibly helpful to have a philosopher in your team because they can think deeper and more critically and pull the different perspectives together.” 4. Do you have any advice for philosophy graduates interested in working outside of academia? # Katie encourages philosophy students and graduates to be confident and network as much as possible.\nRegarding being confident, she says: \u0026ldquo;Be confident and knock on doors that may be even a little hostile to philosophers. I would spend most of my time with engineers, technical experts or political players. Most of them were originally sceptical of the value of philosophy. Once you start to show what you can do, everyone gets much warmer. Search out opportunities without worrying about whether you are really qualified. Quite a lot of the time, it comes down to how critically you can think.”\nAlso, she emphasises the importance of networking: “As a philosopher, it’s not always obvious how to apply your skills outside of academia. Talk yourself up and move around. Try to put in some facetime with people that you think are talented and interesting. Often opportunities will grow out of these interactions without having to force it.”\nThere you go, Phiers! We hope you enjoyed this blog post/interview with Katie. We deeply value her insight and we appreciate her taking the time to chat with us about her non-academic career!\nKeep an eye out for our newsletter, and subscribe to be notified when similar posts go live.\n[This post was written by Mathilde Léon, Writer \u0026amp; Researcher @ Let’s Phi, as well as a valued community member].\nDon’t forget to visit Let’s Phi website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#aiethics #dataethics #ethics #ukgovernment #academia #philosophydegree #employability #careerpath #skills #networking #careerinterview\nOriginally published on Substack by Mathilde Léon.\n","date":"11 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/philosophy-graduates-working-in-ai-183/","section":"Articles","summary":"An Interview with Katie Evans","title":"Philosophy graduates working in AI and Data Ethics (Part 2)","type":"posts"},{"content":"Are you studying philosophy and would like to pursue a career outside of academia? Did you ever wonder what a job in AI and Data Ethics looked like and whether it could be for you? I interviewed two philosophy graduates working in AI and Data Ethics to help you answer these questions. The first part of this series is dedicated to Alessandra Fassio, a Senior Data Ethicist at the Ministry of Justice in the UK who kindly agreed to answer a few questions about her profession. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when Part 2 is published!\nWho is Alessandra? # Alessandra Fassio is a Senior Data Ethicist at the Ministry of Justice, UK Government, the first (and only!) of its kind in her department. She has an MA (Hons) in Philosophy and an MSc in Mind, Language \u0026amp; Embodied Cognition from the University of Edinburgh. During her MSc, she decided to investigate the use of facial recognition technology by UK police forces. “I was particularly interested in how this might impact our right to privacy”, says Alessandra. Her thesis was titled ‘Live Facial Recognition Technology: Privacy Invasion or a Safer Nation? An Examination of the Changing Concept of Privacy in the Digital Age’.\nInterview # 1. What does a typical day as a Senior Data Ethicist look like? # “What I enjoy most about my role is the variety it brings - no two days are the same!”, Alessandra told Let’s Phi. But there are three main elements to her role:\nDeveloping a data ethics strategy: “As this is a brand new role, I’ve started from a blank slate. Working with various stakeholders and groups across MoJ (Ministry of Justice) and externally, I’m beginning to build and develop our data ethics strategy, working out how this can lean on existing work, learn from other areas, and ultimately be of value to our staff. Strategy and planning take time - so I’ll often try and carve out some time in my day to do some of this big-picture thinking.” Collaboration with the Alan Turing Institute: “One project I am particularly excited about is the development of our data ethics framework. With the support of the Turing Institute, we are building a bespoke data ethics toolkit specific to the needs of the justice system. We have been working collaboratively to build a repository of practical, valuable tools that can be used across the organisation to support ethical decision-making.” Ethical advising: “Another core component of my role is as an ethics advisor. I support specific projects across the directorate in a variety of ways, whether this is through providing feedback and advice on specific ethical challenges, facilitating workshops and discussions, or acting as a key stakeholder in more sensitive projects. I really enjoy getting the opportunity to be involved in such a broad portfolio of work and to build the confidence of our teams to identify and mitigate ethical risk in their projects.” 2. Why did you choose to work outside of academia? # Alessandra’s reason to leave the academic world boils down to the drive and passion she has for making a difference in society.\nShe says: “As cliche as it may sound, I wanted to do something that was going to make a difference, and I didn’t feel like I would achieve that in academia. I wanted to go out into the world and challenge how data and tech were being managed and used, and for me personally, it felt like a more sensible move to do this outside of the academic space. I felt that I would be able to have more diverse opportunities and experiences this way”.\nOn the subject of how to make the jump and step out of academia, Alessandra says: “I was also feeling a bit demotivated by the academic system and definitely needed a fresh environment for a bit. After working two part-time jobs, doing an internship, studying and trying to balance a social life at the same time, I look back now and realise I was definitely suffering from burnout. Getting myself out of that space was really important at the time - for both my physical and mental health. I think it’s really important to note that *it’s totally okay to walk away from academia - for a short break, a long break, or forever!*There are still so many ways to use your skills and knowledge to make an impact. If you need a break, take one!”\n3. Any transferable knowledge or skills Philosophy gave you? # Alessandra told us that her philosophy degree gave her (at least) five core skills that she utilises every day in her line of work:\nEthical theory knowledge: “My role requires a good understanding of ethical theory and the different ways this can materialise in real-world situations. I use this knowledge pretty much every day!”. Communication skills: “Being able to consume complex information and distil it into accessible outputs - whether this is blogs, summary documents, strategic plans, etc. It is so important in the workplace, particularly when working across technical and non-technical stakeholder groups or on public-facing work. Philosophy teaches you how to do this very well, and it’s a really valuable skill!”. Problem-solving skills: “Being able to logically work through a problem, assess the possible options and provide a thorough analysis is something I use all the time at work. Being able to pick an argument/problem/challenge apart and put it back together is something philosophers can do in their sleep”. The ability to manage and facilitate discussions: “Often during your studies, you’re encouraged to argue for points of view that you may not always agree with. This is really useful when working with large groups of stakeholders on complex projects. It allows you to see the merit and value in others’ opinions and viewpoints and take these on board. It also makes you a great facilitator for things like workshops, large discussions, etc”. Public speaking skills: “The skills you learn at university from presenting to your peers carry through really well to working life, whether this is presenting at conferences or just leading meetings with your colleagues.” 4. Do you have any advice for philosophy graduates interested in working outside of academia? # Alessandra encourages philosophy students and graduates to not be afraid of asking for feedback. “This could be on applications, after an interview, or even on where to look for opportunities!”.\nMoreover, she highlights that there can be value in taking risks. “ It’s okay to try different things whilst you work out what you enjoy and what types of work will be fulfilling. You might not get it right the first time, and that’s totally okay.”\nAnother important point she emphasises is about valuing your philosophy education. “I think philosophy gets a bad reputation for being soft, vague and useless. Prove people wrong. I’ve made it my mission to show people the value of philosophical training through the actions that I take. Don’t downplay how challenging it is and how useful it can be!”\nAnd finally, don’t forget to keep track of your achievements. “No matter how big or small! Anything you’ve done during your studies can be used as great examples for CVs and interviews. Having a master document you can add to as you go has been so useful for me.”\nThere you go, Phiers! We hope you enjoyed this blog post/interview with Alessandra. We deeply value her insight and we appreciate her taking the time to chat with us about her non-academic career!\nIf you enjoyed this interview, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s the first in a series of Career Interviews and Part 1 of the AI and Data Ethics Interviews. Part 2 will be published next week, so keep an eye out for our newsletter posts and subscribe to be notified when they go live.\n[This post was written by Mathilde Léon, Writer \u0026amp; Researcher @ Let’s Phi, as well as a valued community member].\nDon’t forget to visit Let’s Phi website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#aiethics #dataethics #ethics #ukgovernment #academia #philosophydegree #employability #careerpath #skills #networking #careerinterview\nOriginally published on Substack by Mathilde Léon.\n","date":"27 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/philosophy-graduates-working-in-ai/","section":"Articles","summary":"An Interview with Alessandra Fassio","title":"Philosophy graduates working in AI and Data Ethics (Part 1)","type":"posts"},{"content":"Hi Phiers,\n2022 has been incredibly busy, challenging, inspiring and rewarding for us here at Let’s Phi. We worked very hard to provide you with the best service possible and seeing and connecting with you at our events has been very inspiring.\nSome numbers # We are now a global community of 1900+ members. You, our community members, tune in from all over Europe, America, India and more. In 2022 alone our subscribers count increased by 27.6%! Thanks for liking, sharing and commenting on our posts, as well as attending our events. We hosted 8 online career events in 2022, where we invited industry experts who work in Ethics Consulting, Venture Capital, Web3 Research, AI Ethics and Recruitment. Amongst these experts, we had Steven Robinson, Guanlan Mao, Ravit Dotan, Federico Ast \u0026amp; Joshua Bucheli. Our team expanded this year and we started collaborating with some of our community members on different projects \u0026amp; content, such as blog posts, mentor acquisition and research interviews. This year we welcomed Ismael Kherroubi Garcia and Jennifer Waters as Writers \u0026amp; Content Creators, and Mathilde Leon as a Writer \u0026amp; Researcher. In 2022 we helped over 20 people who reached out to find mentors and career opportunities. Some of the things they say about our work: \u0026ldquo;Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi has been a beacon of encouragement and a source of support for me, as I look to transition out of academia\u0026rdquo;; \u0026ldquo;Joining Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi\u0026rsquo;s event with Federico Ast helped me find my career path by showing the intersection amongst Philosophy, Economics, and Web3\u0026rdquo;. We are proud to show philosophers how to put their skills to good use, how to properly market their degrees, and how to find a fulfilling career outside academia. All this work would not be possible without your help and support, and for that, we’re very grateful.\nWhat you can expect from us in 2023 # More online career events! We want to invite loads of experts in Ethics, Consulting, VC, Web3 and more. If you’d like to connect with someone, in particular, reach out on LinkedIn. We’d be very happy to hear your suggestions in terms of speakers to invite. One-on-one chats with our team members where you can ask for advice and tips on career paths, opportunities, job search, job interviews and so forth. If you’d like personalised and tailored advice for your career journey, message us on LinkedIn anytime. We’re happy to help. A mentorship programme. In 2022, we started working on speaker acquisition to build a small, tailored mentorship programme, where we can match philosophy students/grads with mentors in their chosen field of work. We hope to launch this scheme in the next year. More content \u0026amp; collaboration. Expect more blog posts, articles and career-related content from us. If you want to collaborate with us on this, reach out! Thank you for all your support! We’re looking forward to interacting more with you in 2023. We wish you happy holidays if you celebrate.\nBest,\nThe Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi Team x\n#research #students #opportunities #team #work #projects #community #thankyou #career #jobsearch #networkingevents\nOriginally published on Substack by Ludovica Adamo.\n","date":"22 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/lets-phi-year-in-review/","section":"Articles","summary":"What We Did in 2022 and What to Expect in 2023","title":"Let's Phi Year in Review 📊","type":"posts"},{"content":"Not only is the tech discussion becoming openly philosophical, technological developments today are giving rise to new hypothetical philosophical scenarios. Rather than an introduction, there is an interplay between practical and philosophical ‘stress tests’.\nAs developments in the AI Ethics and Digital Governance sphere continue, aspects of philosophy are becoming increasingly explicit, rather than their former implicit presence. Developers in AI have begun asking questions like; is AI conscious?; what does moral decision-making look like? and have incorporated science-fiction outlooks in order to determine what kind of ideology they hope to adopt while developing AI.\nFinally, it seems as though philosophy is getting the recognition it deserves! Ethics committees are becoming incredibly commonplace and their input is being given a much higher weight than it previously had. All of the STEM and legal professionals are crying out for the need of philosophers in order to guide the upcoming technological progress- guidance philosophers have been aching to provide for centuries. Instead of absent-minded, disconnected ‘Laputans’, philosophers are finally being considered as resourceful, insightful, and necessary. This relief of philosophers creates a harmful perception that philosophy is fixed and only needs to be introduced.\nIn the following sections, we aim to introduce where practical developments in AI and digital technology lend themselves as previously unthought-of hypothetical scenarios, enhancing traditional philosophical theories.\nImpermanence, Selfhood, and Responsibility The debates surrounding GDPR’s ‘right to be forgotten’ pertain to the ability for an individual to have personal data deleted from organisations and also have search engines remove links to information about an individual they consider to be irrelevant or unnecessary. The ability to have previous information deleted is a controversial capability, with some considering it essential to privacy rights, and others considering it an affront to the public interest. The cases vary, but some controversial cases, like that of the Quinn family have led to accusations that deleting data and removing links is merely a tool to avoid responsibility.\nThe ability to delete data deemed unnecessary would certainly serve as a stress test to Parfit’s continuity theory of personal identity. If identity and responsibility were associated with the continuity of events and aspects of an individual’s life, how would Parfit react to the ‘right to be forgotten?’ What would a debate involving Derek Parfit and GDPR look like, and how would it enhance our understanding of selfhood and responsibility? Ultimately, however, it is clear that through collaboration and dialogue between the two, philosophy would continue to develop as well.\nPolitical Postmodernism and Web 2.0 The rise of disinformation, misinformation, and the phenomenon of ‘fake news’ has led to the adoption of Postmodernism by both liberals and conservatives (broadly speaking). With the development of Web 2.0 and content recommendation algorithms (CRAs) information has grown less trustworthy in many respects - to the extent that conservatives have begun espousing postmodernist claims. Postmodernismis a sceptical view of certain or fixed meanings, identities, binaries, hierarchies, etc. Postmodernism holds our understandings of our lives and ourselves as unstable and frequently contingent on the societies we grow up in.\nPostmodernism is widely considered a liberal ‘ism’ with regard to social and gender norms and has been regarded as a derogatory term by conservatives. Suddenly, however, accusations of ‘fake news’ have led to the ‘post-truth-era’ on the conservative side of the political spectrum! In order for there to be false or fake news, there must also be true and real news, leading some individuals to believe there is no such thing as truth at all, only perspective. Whether it be from the right or left side of the political spectrum, the postmodernist theory is invoked to argue that instead of truth, there is only narrative and belief.\nSuch socio-political developments have led to growing philosophical investigations into ‘bullsh*t’ and ‘trolling’. The previously established relationships between intent, meaning, and overall engagement with discourse have been stressed with the rise of ‘trolling’ or ‘memeing’ in Web 2.0, leading to philosophical developments regarding these stresses.\nComputational Law and Jurisprudence The particular areas of research one of our authors (Jennifer) has begun investigating are the origins and implications of computational law on jurisprudence, including legal analytics like Lex Machina. The application of data analytics to law and legal reasoning has revived philosophical discussion regarding both the fundamental nature of legal rules as well as the importance of human decision-making. Mireille Hildebrandt in particular has published widely on the uses of AI in law as well as the role of privacy as a right in the digital age.\nThe codification of legal rules and legal reasoning seems to have originated from a strain of legal positivism emphasising the ‘facticity’ of law rather than its ‘meritoriousness.’ The regard to law as a fact-based system would lend itself to an algorithmic approach to legal decision making. How would someone like H.L.A. Hart respond to automated, data-driven legal reasoning? Is a ‘robot judge’ compatible with the original ambitions of positivism? Such questions test our existing conceptions of jurisprudence, as well as our ability to improve our existing justice systems virtuously.\nConclusion # While we all know the trope of short-sighted, ideological engineers or entrepreneurs and their adversary, the wise, hesitant philosophers, however, we believe the developments in AI and digital governance don’t establish an introduction of philosophy to technological developments, but a developmental interplay between the two. Where philosophical arguments are introduced to stress test developing AI and digital governance, the scenarios they apply to may themselves stress test the robustness of philosophical theories.\n[This post was written by Jennifer Waters and Ismael Kherroubi Garcia, Writers \u0026amp; Collaborators @Let’s Phi, as well as valued community members.]\nDon’t forget to visit Let’s Phi website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#technology #philosophy #collaboration #stresstest #gdpr #righttobeforgotten #responsibility #postmodernism #wen2.0\nOriginally published on Substack by Ismael Kherroubi Garcia, Jennifer Waters.\n","date":"7 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/mutual-stress-tests/","section":"Articles","summary":"How Technology and Philosophy are Shaping and Changing One Another","title":"Mutual Stress Tests","type":"posts"},{"content":"Hey Phiers,\nWe hope you’re all having a fantastic week.\nIt was lovely to hear more about what philosophers can bring to the Web3 space from Fotis Tsiroukis on November 12th. If you missed that career event, Fotis talked about his journey from academic philosophy to Web3 (and back), how the blockchain works, Ethereum culture, and the functioning of decentralised organisations. He also gave valuable insight into decentralised work and how philosophers can contribute to it with their skills.\nFotis (and other community members who attended the workshop) kindly shared a host of resources for you to dive into the world of Web 3, learn about it and get started on your decentralised work journey. I included them in this blog post and divided them into two categories: ‘learn’, to know more about decentralised work and Web3, and ‘get started ’, with links to things you can join.\nLearn # Introduction to Decentralised Finance (DeFi): This is a freeMOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on DeFi from the University of Nicosia. It is the first Free MOOC on Defi. You will learn how blockchain-based organisations are disrupting financial services by leveraging innovations in cryptocurrencies and smart contracts to build fair, inclusive, and robust financial systems that do not rely on central financial intermediaries (e.g. banks, brokerages or exchanges). This is an interactive course taught by experts and it is completely free to access. Next Starting Date: Januart 9th, 2023. The course will be taught online. Digital Currency MOOC: This is another great, free, online course from the University of Nicosia. With this one, you wil learn about decentralized digital currencies (cryptocurrencies) such as Bitcoin. In particular, the course will survey the theory and principles by which cryptocurrencies operate, practical examples of basic cryptocurrency use, including clients, wallets, transactions. It is completely free to attend, and the next starting date is February 6th, 2023. NTFs and the Metaverse: Another free, online course taught by experts at the University of Nicosia. Regenerative Finance: This is a great article about the promises and pitfalls of regenerative finance. A great read if you want a critical and sharp overview of the world of Web3. Get Started # The Paris Institute: The Paris Institute aims to create a public space in the humanities and arts, a space for everyone to enjoy and learn, free from the constraints, gatekeeping and regulations of traditional higher education. The Paris Institu reimagines the academy as a venue of learning for its own sake rather than as a means to an end. It does not believe in standardized courses, grades, or diplomas: only self-motivated students with passionate interests should enrol in courses, and these courses should be tailor-made by equally passionate educators. Become a member of the Institute here. ResearchHub: ResearchHub is a Web3 research community that is accessible to everyone anywhere, with no content residing behind paywalls and no costs to participate. It is a collaborative workspace and research space where visibility is given to impactful research. Mirror: Mirror is a space for Web3 publishing. It is a publishing platform that, again, seeks to make research accessible to everyone anywhere. And if you missed this month’s career workshop, have a look at Fotis’ slides for an introduction to Web3 for philosophers:\nWeb3 For Philosophers (1)\n1.9MB ∙ PDF file\nFrom Federico Ast (Kleros) # Earlier in 2022, Federico Ast — co-founder and CEO of Kleros, the decentralised justice system using blockchain and game theory for dispute resolution, and speaker at our \u0026ldquo;Future of Law-Tech\u0026rdquo; event — shared two preview videos from Kleros\u0026rsquo; free online course on building in Web3:\nHow to build in Web3: The Blockchain Revolution How to build in Web3: Strategy Design You can follow Kleros for course updates or connect with Federico on LinkedIn.\nThis is everything from us, for now. We hope you’ll find these resources useful and that they’re going to help you with your education and career needs.\nDon’t forget to visit our website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#web3 #defi #decentralisedorgansiation #daos #mooc #ntfs #learning #digitaleducation #networking #careerworkshop #career #philosophy\nOriginally published on Substack by Ludovica Adamo.\n","date":"25 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/web3-needs-philosophers-resources/","section":"Articles","summary":"A round-up of useful resources to learn about Web3 and get you started on your journey","title":"Web3 Needs Philosophers - Resources to Get You Started","type":"posts"},{"content":" Intro # My history and philosophy undergraduate was almost over and I began thinking about the worthwhile ways I could use what I had learned. After careful consideration, I decided a degree in Digital Policy was a promising place to apply my philosophical training in an impactful way. Digital Policy is in its formative years, with topics like AI Ethics, Digital Governance, and Emergent Technologies disrupting the regulatory frameworks politicians and civil society had grown accustomed to. The malleable landscape of digital policy means many organisations and governmental groups are popping up all over the place- each offering thematically unified, but rather vague pledges to ‘inclusivity’,’ fairness’, ‘transparency.’ You know the terms, and you also know that they’re dangerous when they’re empty.\nForHumanity # ForHumanity is a non-profit organisation that stood out amongst the swathe of requirements and agendas I’d been versing myself with- so much so that I became involved and wrote this piece. ForHumanity provides a framework for auditing AI Algorithmic and Autonomous (AAA) systems. It was made to ensure that the values of humans are voiced, represented, and are the determining factors between the certification and non-certification of such systems. Like financial auditing, ForHumanity establishes binary criteria for both data protection compliance and additional risk mitigation of AAA systems. ForHumanity emphasises its governmental and industry independence, as well as its aims to establish a rigorous and consistent framework within which responsibility is tractable and the values and risks of AAA systems, are clearly, and publicly disclaimed.\nI can’t break down the entire auditing framework for you- you’ll just have to find out for yourselves! I can say, however, that ForHumanity embodies the principles and structure that all cynicism I cultivated throughout my degree just couldn’t withstand:\nInspiring, upstanding leadership- Ryan Carrier is the founder of ForHumanity. He had his own hedge fund on wall street, but the lack of concern he witnessed upon the introduction of AAA systems, and the fear he had for their impact on his children led him to leave finance and found ForHumanity. In his one-on-one orientation to ForHumanity and its various projects, Ryan emphasised that there should be no imposter syndrome amongst the fellow members. He encouraged me to speak up and reach out, and even made a new group chat introducing me to others with similar interests. Myself and others admire his approach - he strikes a balance between being deliberate and flexible in his leadership. Humility - ForHumanity is framed off of the financial audit structure, as well as existing legislation like the GDPR. It is emphasised that despite the constant proclamation of disruptive, emergent technologies, regulators don’t need to reinvent the wheel, merely adopt what works. Further, ForHumanity makes its auditing scheme amenable to the relevant legal frameworks and cultural sensitivities. ForHumanity makes no claims as to what ‘fairness’ is independent of cultural values. In doing so it doesn’t consider itself to be a silver bullet or the deliverer of objective truth, only consistency- leading to my next point. ‘Proactive, not Reactive’ (- Ryan) - Usually the only way a company knows they transgressed GDPR or other new, broad regulation is if they discover they are being sued- meaning that by that time the harm is already done. ForHumanity’s framework and requirements for compliance establishes consistency in a young field, providing a basis upon which businesses can be held accountable for AAA system risks. Further, by being a true auditing framework (unlike others you may find which serve different purposes) ForHumanity can translate broad regulation like GDPR into bite-size binary criteria a company can learn and adhere to- avoiding regulatory transgressions, therefore minimising the harms associated with AAA systems. What’s ahead # ForHumanity is working closely with the UK government to have audit criteria approved as a certification scheme to ensure GDPR compliance. While certified ForHumanity auditors (FHCAs) of AAA systems are already qualified to carry out audits, official recognition by the UK will go a long way in giving ForHumanity the influence it deserves.\nAs well as working with the UK government, ForHumanity recently launched its Algorithm Ethics course, developed in its signature manner of crowdsourcing by a multitude of professionals. The course was made for the close inspection of algorithmic systems, and understanding of the implications of actions taken in each step of their development and implementation - each instance of Ethical Choice.\nThe ongoing projects are numerous and range from Cognitive Bias Remediation to Data Security Policies, to Ethics Curriculum for Designers and Developers. There are so many ways to contribute, and if Ryan catches even a whiff of interest, he will give you a project, and introduce you to professionals. You have nothing to lose.\nI mentioned my previous work and interest in digital nudges and Ryan immediately put me, philosophy professors, AI ethicists and others in a group chat. As of now, we are waiting to hear back from Notre Dame’s IBM Tech Ethics Lab about a course designed to teach social media users about the various methods of nudging and how to identify them.\nConclusion # Throughout my undergraduate studies, I stopped seeing philosophy as the source of answers– instead of being a romantic journey of catharsis and discovery, philosophy became to me a tool for creating consistency. Upon further examination of the Digital Policy landscape, but really any field in the real world, I realised just how valuable consistency is as we constantly work towards a balance of efficiency and adherence to our social values and virtues – a healthy, tractable, sustainable kind of progress. Ultimately, I found ForHumanity to embody all of the ways in which my history and philosophy degree ought to be useful- an entity whose own ethics and foresight motivated its being in the right place at the right time.\nAs of now I have passed the requiredfoundational exam, and am studying to become a certified auditor in GDPR and Children’s Code. It feels invigorating to put my philosophical principles into practice in an enriching way, and I will continue to be an active participant in the organisation.\nI recommend you give ForHumanity a look and check out some of their resources - everything is free (except the exam, but I got a student discount) and I’m especially sure fellow philosophers can appreciate the care and profound thought inherent to the existence and functions of the entire organisation.\n[This post was written by Jennifer Waters, Writer \u0026amp; Collaborator @Let’s Phi, as well as a valued community member.]\nDon’t forget to visit Let’s Phi website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#forhumanity #forhumanityuniversity #aiethics #ai #philosophydegree #letusphi #automation #learning #machinelearning #riskmitigation #philosophy #careeradvice\nOriginally published on Substack by Jennifer Waters.\n","date":"10 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/forhumanity-embodying-everything/","section":"Articles","summary":"Philosophers at work in AI Ethics and how to get involved with ForHumanity","title":"ForHumanity: Embodying Everything We’ve Learned","type":"posts"},{"content":" The Hard/Soft Dichotomy # Through their rigorous training, philosophers gain important skills that are applicable beyond the confines of academia. Unfortunately, philosophers are seen as only having ‘soft skills’, which are not generally perceived as contributing directly to a business’ value chain. Indeed, the common narrative is that ‘hard skills’ are for software engineers, lawyers, accountants and so on. These roles require specific training that is straightforwardly applied to their jobs. Meanwhile, philosophers don’t have ‘hard skills’ in this sense. It is unlikely your ability to (i) reconstruct the Euthyphro dilemma, (ii) critically evaluate Avicenna’s argument for the existence of God, or (iii) study the importance of literature in the fight for gender equality in De Beauvoir’s work will come up during a job interview.\nImage from Yeh (2021) on Hubspot\nNonetheless, philosophers’ skills are particularly useful to the modern workplace. Before moving on, there are some assumptions we (the authors) hold throughout this post:\nYou, dear readers, work or want to work for a responsible employer that adheres to socially informed value systems; Employers are socially conscious and have a genuine interest in promoting social values; No single individual has (or is required to have) all the ‘soft skills’ and all the ‘hard skills’; The end goal of employers is to build teams capable of delivering services and producing value; it’s not all about individuals. The Philosopher’s Supporting Function # Philosophers develop ‘soft skills’ that are widely applicable in the workplace. Some of these are:\nArgumentation skills: Philosophers learn to construct sound arguments, where the premises are valid and conclusions follow logically. We also learn to identify and adequately dismiss straw men, ad hominemand other inadequate ‘arguments’ and fallacies. Your ability to justify thought processes and provide solutions is invaluable. Emotional intelligence: Philosophical debate requires engaging with views we may strongly oppose. Throughout a philosopher’s training, we learn to navigate difficult discussions whilst adhering to the most rigorous methods. Being able to adequately manage difficult conversations in the workplace is a key skill. Analytical skills: As a philosopher, you can identify how different systems and roles within organisations interrelate. You have the ability to quickly understand how complex departments and roles mesh and result in viable business decisions. These are some of the ‘soft skills’ you can celebrate and put to good use in the workplace. Ultimately, you are trained in the ways of reasonable and charitable debate, and have an eye for analysing the concepts and systems you work with. You are a bundle of insights waiting to impress.\nHowever, adhering to the ‘hard-soft skill’ dichotomy in this way entails that philosophers outside of academia can only support those who develop products or provide specific services- the philosopher doesn’t makeanything. Rather, their job seems to be to provide clarity of thought and facilitate productive discussions. Intuitively, these are functions for middle- and upper-management. The recent philosophy graduate might not have such roles in sight. However, given the usefulness of the above ‘soft skills’, it might be for responsible employers to seek out philosophy graduates. In turn, philosophers can enable businesses to refine their decision-making processes.\nPhilosophy and ‘Soft Structures’ # Philosophers’ ability to establish conceptual frameworks is an impactful contribution to the structure of businesses. Philosophers acquire relevant skill sets for projects, departments, or organisations focused on diversity, inclusion, artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, etc. Philosophers can articulate definitions of values and practices that provide both clarityandconsistency in such projects, departments, and organisations.\nThe Problem # Businesses these days have come to represent more than their products and services, but an ideology. Business ethics and building ‘brands’ have led to the popularity of certain practices, such as responsible research and innovation (RRI), diversity and inclusion (D\u0026amp;I), sustainability, etc. These require what we call ‘soft structures.’ We define ‘soft structures’ as theoretical frameworks that are established to help businesses attain the standards they promise with respect to their social/political/environmental impact. These ‘soft structures’ conflict with the straightforward hard/soft dichotomy.\nHere are three examples of what we call ‘soft structures’:\nESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance investing EDI: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policies CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility In business settings, however, terms like ‘sustainability’ and ‘fairness’ are used without much investigation into what is actually meant when such terms are exercised. Similarly, the actions that follow these underdetermined concepts will convolute accountability and be inconsistent. What businesses need is a thorough approach to designing and implementing their ‘soft structures.’\nThe Philosopher’s Skill Set # This is where a philosopher has very specific skills - their analytical rigour makes them suited to establishing stable ‘soft structures’ and ensuring that the terms constituting such structures are clear and can be adhered to.\nFrom the dreaded phrase ‘define your terms’ comes a philosophy student’s skill at establishing strict definitions for concepts and outlining where they do and don’t apply. Philosophers are practised in dissecting the meaning of terms like ‘equity’ and ‘responsibility’ with respect to their context. This ‘soft skill’ is important to create clear and consistent theoretical frameworks – ‘soft structures’\u0026ndash; upon which a business can effectively uphold and implement its values (or promises 😉).\nWhere ‘soft skills’ aren’t usually considered to contribute to the business structure itself, philosophers’ ability to create ‘soft structures’ –where broad concepts can be made clear and referenced consistently with each other– is a valuable and constructive contribution to a business.\nThe Impact # The impact of philosophical insight into ‘soft structures’ are:\nConsistency for businesses, Clarity in their internal and external communication strategies, and Continuity as the business progresses. As businesses create or develop increasingly conceptually complex soft structures, philosophers have an opportunity to put their argumentation, emotional intelligence, and analytical skills to good use. The emergence of ESG, EDI, CSR, etc. demonstrates that businesses are coming to terms with the value-ladenness of their decision-making processes. The ability to identify when and how a business adheres to, or strays from, its fundamental values and goals is only made possible through the establishment of a stable ‘soft structure.’\nConclusion (Extra Nuance) # While philosophers provide valuable contributions to businesses, we must emphasise the importance of their delivery. If part of philosophers’ role is clarifying definitions and relationships of a company’s values, they must avoid philosophical jargon. The way philosophers communicate the complex concepts they are trained to deploy must be done in simple terms. In the business setting, philosophers are responsible for providing clarity… clearly. Don’t introduce new frameworks as ‘Wittgenstinean approaches’ or ‘epistemological inquiries’, just clearly establish definitions for terms that are already used and be ready to provide approachable explanations about your reasoning.\nAll of this said we wouldn’t be writing this post if we didn’t believe in the value that philosophers can bring to the workplace. So get out there and do what you’ve been trained to do! List your assumptions, find those inconsistencies, define those terms, and best of all, be the source of effective business ethos!\n[This post was written by Jennifer Waters and Ismael Kherroubi García, our collaborators and community members.]\nDon’t forget to visit Let’s Phi website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\n#softskillshardkills #skills #philosophydegree #beyondacademicphilosophy #beyondacademia #careeradvice #careercoaching #letusphi\nOriginally published on Substack by Jennifer Waters, Ismael Kherroubi Garcia.\n","date":"28 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/philosophy-means-business/","section":"Articles","summary":"The skills and value philosophers can bring to the table in non-academic jobs","title":"Philosophy Means Business","type":"posts"},{"content":"Hey Phiers,\nWe hope you’re all having a fantastic week. We’re busy preparing and finalising our online events for the Autumn months. Watch this space for info and updates on future speakers.\nIn the meantime, we wanted to share some valuable resources that we think you might be interested in.\nAI ETHICS:\nForHumanity University is launching their course on Algorithm Ethics this Monday, September 19th 2022. This upcoming online course is completely free and comprises of 8 weeks, each with a different topics explored. You can register to the Algorithm Ethics Course here. You can also contact ForHumanity’s Executive Director Ryan Carrier if you wish to get involved with and know more about ForHumanity. COACHING AND MENTORSHIP:\nIf you’re interested in finding a mentor or a coach, or if you’d like to talk about ethics, philosophy and career/education goals, the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI) has an Advising and Collaboration Program. The Program is open now and will close sometime in October, so there are still a few weeks left to participate and get involved. Participation in the Program does not necessarily entail any significant time commitment. It can consist of anything from a short email exchange to more extensive project work. If you’re interested in speaking with GCRI or collaborating with them, you can find more info here. STARTING OUT IN AI ETHICS (shared by Ravit Dotan, PhD — speaker at our \u0026ldquo;From Philosophy to AI Ethics\u0026rdquo; workshop):\nFAQs when starting a career in AI ethics How to keep track of news in the AI ethics space How to get started learning about AI ethics Newsletter highlighting USA jobs for humanities and social science PhDs This is everything from us, for now. We hope you’ll find these resources useful and that they’re going to help you with your education and career needs.\nDon’t forget to visit our website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\nOriginally published on Substack by Ludovica Adamo.\n","date":"16 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/a-round-up-of-useful-resources-mentorship/","section":"Articles","summary":"We would like to share a couple of resources that we think you might benefit from.","title":"A round-up of useful resources (mentorship and AI Ethics)","type":"posts"},{"content":"Hey Phiers,\nWe hope you’re all having a fantastic week. Thank you for attending our online workshop, “From Philosophy to Cybersecurity-Recruitment” last Saturday and for your continued support. We have some exciting events planned for the future months, so stay tuned for more.\nIn the meantime, we wanted to share some Cybersecurity/AI resources and a couple of opportunities we think you’re going to find useful.\nOPPORTUNITIES:\nInternship - Recruiting Consultant/Talent Community Manager at Cyberunity AG (Fast Track) (German Skills required) Volunteering Opportunity - Contributor/Fellor at Forhumanity (these are ongoing unpaid opportunties to join Forhumanity and contribute to their work) CYBERSECURITY/AI RESOURCES:\nFIAAS Certification - Foundations of Independent Audit of AI Systems. This course will guide the learner through foundational readings such as Taxonomy, Roles and Responsibilities in an Infrastructure of Trust, #infrastructureoftrust and Rise of the Ethics Committee. Additionally, all non-normative criteria elements of ForHumanity’s Certification Scheme and Audit Manuals will be taught. When completed the learner will be steeped in the foundational knowledge of ForHumanity, its mission, Independent Audit of AI Systems and the ecosystem that exists to support Audit, Pre-Audit and Auditee compliance with ForHumanity Certification Schemes. Become a Cybersecurity Specialist - at the Swiss Cyber Institute JOB SEEKERS RESOURCES:\nYou can find great job opportunities were philosophers are a good fit here:\n80,000 hours - Plaftorm to seek higher impact career paths to make a concrete, positive difference in the world. Effective Altruism Job Board - jobs for people who want do good and help as many others as possible. We hope you’ll find these resources useful and that they’re going to help you in your job search.\nIf you’d like to have (another) look at Joshua’s slide from Saturday’s event, you’ll find them below:\nLet\u0026rsquo;s Phi From Philosophy To Cybersec Recruiting\n931KB ∙ PDF file\nDon’t forget to visit our website to see all our upcoming career workshops. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.\nBest Wishes,\nThe Let’s Phi Team.\nOriginally published on Substack by Ludovica Adamo.\n","date":"25 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/cybersecurityai-resources-opportunities/","section":"Articles","summary":"A round-up of useful cybersecurity/recruitment resources shared by our recent speaker - Joshua Bucheli - and some opportunities. Bookmark and save them for later.","title":"Cybersecurity/AI Resources, Opportunities and advice for jobseekers","type":"posts"},{"content":" Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi helps philosophers build careers outside academia. Since summer 2020 we have run three conferences and dozens of workshops, collected the stories of philosophers who made the leap, and grown a newsletter community of 1,800+. The team # Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi was built by a volunteer team of philosophers who care about what comes after the degree. Today it is maintained by Konrad — and it keeps growing, story by story.\nKonrad UrbanCo-Founder \u0026amp; MaintainerRuns Peanut Alumni # Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi would not exist without the volunteers who ran it through the conference years. Thank you.\nKim KopecCo-FounderCo-founded Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi Ludovica AdamoOperationsRan operations and organised many of our workshops Ronja GriepConferencesCo-organised our conferences Joshua BucheliHead of Community EventsOrganised our 2021 talk series Ismael Kherroubi GarcíaWriter \u0026amp; Content CreatorWrote for the newsletter Jennifer WatersWriter \u0026amp; Content CreatorWrote for the newsletter Mathilde LéonWriter \u0026amp; ResearcherWrote for the newsletter Tiana-marie BlassingaleCommunicationsRan communications What members say # In their own words:\n\"Let's Phi has been a beacon of encouragement and a source of support for me, as I look to transition out of academia. After the event with Kleros, I applied for and won the Kleros Justice Fellowship. Thanks for organising these events!\"\nPaul Poenicke — community member \"Joining Let's Phi's event with Federico ['The Future of Law-Tech', June 2022] helped me find my career path by showing the intersection among Philosophy, Economics and Web3. I connected with Federico afterwards and was fortunate enough to be offered an internship at his firm. Throughout the summer I have been learning so much about Web3 which would never have happened if it wasn't for Let's Phi's valuable speaker events.\"\nAndy Chan — community member \"When I started as head of community management at Let's Phi two years ago, I had no idea where my degree in philosophy would take me. Let's Phi gave me the opportunity to build on my skillset, expand my network, and have the conversations I needed to have to eventually successfully make the transition out of academic philosophy and into a job that I now love and in which I am thriving! I can say with total honesty that Let's Phi was an integral part of this journey and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone who is interested in bringing their philosophical skillset outside of the university.\"\n\"Getting the opportunity to come back one year down the line and share my journey with current Phiers was an absolute pleasure and I very much look forward to continuing to attend future events and to seeing where the Let's Phi adventure takes our growing community — LetsPhi4Ever!\"\nJoshua Bucheli — former Head of Community, now in cybersecurity recruitment Get involved # Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi is deliberately run lean these days, but there are still good ways in. If you built a career outside academia, we\u0026rsquo;d love to interview you: one relaxed conversation, and we turn it into a story for the library and the newsletter. If you want to bring Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi to your university, we\u0026rsquo;ll help you set it up. And if you want to write for the newsletter, or help in a way we haven\u0026rsquo;t thought of, tell us that too.\nFor any of these, reach out to Konrad on LinkedIn.\nGet the next story in your inbox 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/about/","section":"Beyond Academic Philosophy","summary":" Let’s Phi helps philosophers build careers outside academia. Since summer 2020 we have run three conferences and dozens of workshops, collected the stories of philosophers who made the leap, and grown a newsletter community of 1,800+. The team # Let’s Phi was built by a volunteer team of philosophers who care about what comes after the degree. Today it is maintained by Konrad — and it keeps growing, story by story.\n","title":"About Let's Phi","type":"page"},{"content":"The guides below are built from our own events and community: the people who have done the job, the talks they gave, and the resources they shared.\nNot sure which one? Start with the map and some questions worth asking yourself. The fields overlap, and most people fit several.\nThese are the paths our community has taken, not a complete list of what philosophers can do. We also know philosophers in law, policy, government, teaching and product management. If your path is missing, share your story and we\u0026rsquo;ll add it.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/paths/","section":"Career Paths","summary":"The guides below are built from our own events and community: the people who have done the job, the talks they gave, and the resources they shared.\nNot sure which one? Start with the map and some questions worth asking yourself. The fields overlap, and most people fit several.\n","title":"Career Paths","type":"paths"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Categories","type":"categories"},{"content":" Between 2020 and 2023 we ran three conferences and dozens of talks and workshops, all free and online, on what philosophers can do beyond the university. This page is the archive of that era. We\u0026rsquo;re not currently running events — these days new Stories are how Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi grows — but many of the speakers below also appear there, and if an event ever makes sense again, the newsletter will be the first to know.\nConference highlights # Philosophers in Media March 2021 Conference with 200+ attendees and 10+ speakers on philosophers working in journalism, publishing and media. Philosophers Running the World? September 2020 Conference focused on ethics \u0026 politics — 250+ attendees, 15+ speakers. Organised by Ronja Griep, Ludovica Adamo, Joshua Bucheli and Konrad Urban. Life After Philosophy? July 2020 Our first conference: 200+ attendees, 10+ speakers, 5 industry experts on careers after a philosophy degree. Talks \u0026amp; workshops archive # 2023 # June — From Philosophy to Content Marketing, with Alex Yates, PhD — from a doctoral dissertation on Frege\u0026rsquo;s philosophy of logic at St Andrews to freelance and then full-time content marketing May — Philosophers Working in Decentralised Finance, with Christina Norgard Rud — Philosophy \u0026amp; Public Policy MSc (LSE), co-founder of Squid, a cross-chain liquidity router (organiser: Konrad Urban) April — Operationalising Philosophy for Risk, with Noam Maoz — MA in Philosophy of Technology (Tel-Aviv), risk prevention specialist in tech at Meta and long-time community member (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) 2022 # November — Web3 Needs Philosophers, with Fotis Tsiroukis — PhD candidate in Philosophy of Open Science (Exeter) and KERNEL fellow working in crypto privacy and decentralised science (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) October — From Philosophy to Ethics Consulting, with Dr Kevin Macnish — digital-ethics consulting senior manager at Sopra Steria, former GCHQ analyst, author of The Ethics of Surveillance (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) October — Investing in Norm-Subverting Tech, with Steven Robinson \u0026amp; Guanlan Mao — Oxford philosophy and PPE graduates leading ARKN Ventures, a blockchain-focused VC firm (organiser: Konrad Urban) August — From Philosophy to Cybersecurity Recruitment, with Joshua Bucheli — political \u0026amp; legal philosophy MA (Bern), cybersecurity recruiter at Cyberunity and former Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi head of community (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) July — From Philosophy to AI Ethics, with Ravit Dotan, PhD — UC Berkeley philosophy PhD helping startups and investors build AI-ethics strategies (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) June — The Future of Law-Tech, with Federico Ast — co-founder and CEO of Kleros, the decentralised justice protocol (organiser: Konrad Urban) April — Ethics for Preventing Global Catastrophe, with McKenna Fitzgerald (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) January — Public Engagement and Public Writing for Philosophers, with Joshua Habgood-Coote, PhD (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) 2021 # November — Bioethics and Ethics Consulting for Tech Companies, with Geoff Keeling, PhD (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) October — Ethics Consulting, with Christine Jakobson, PhD (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) July — High-impact Mentoring, with Kathryn Mecrow-Flynn (organiser: Ludovica Adamo) July — Professional Ethics Consultancy, with Jim Baxter, PhD (organisers: Ludovica Adamo \u0026amp; Ronja Griep) May — Philosophy in the AI Industry (organiser: Joshua Bucheli) April — Philosophy, Communication, and Economic Survival (organiser: Joshua Bucheli) April — AI Ethics (organiser: Joshua Bucheli) March — Philosophers in Media — conference, 200+ attendees, 10+ speakers March — Leveraging a Philosophy Degree in Public Policy (organiser: Joshua Bucheli) March — Chief Philosophy Officers? (organiser: Joshua Bucheli) February — Hunting for Non-Academic Jobs (organiser: Joshua Bucheli) January — Business \u0026amp; Philosophy (organiser: Joshua Bucheli) 2020 # December — CV Workshop with Mind the Grad (organiser: Konrad Urban) September — Philosophers Running the World? — conference, ethics \u0026amp; politics, 250+ attendees, 15+ speakers (organisers: Ronja Griep, Ludovica Adamo, Joshua Bucheli, Konrad Urban) July — Life After Philosophy? — conference, 200+ attendees, 10+ speakers, 5 industry experts ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/events/","section":"Beyond Academic Philosophy","summary":" Between 2020 and 2023 we ran three conferences and dozens of talks and workshops, all free and online, on what philosophers can do beyond the university. This page is the archive of that era. We’re not currently running events — these days new Stories are how Let’s Phi grows — but many of the speakers below also appear there, and if an event ever makes sense again, the newsletter will be the first to know.\n","title":"Events","type":"page"},{"content":" Most philosophy graduates don\u0026rsquo;t know what they want to do next. Nothing has gone wrong. Degrees teach the subject, not the job market. This page explains how that world is organised, offers some questions worth sitting with, and suggests things you can actually try. There is no quiz, because no quiz can answer this. How the job world is organised # Some things everyone assumes you know, and nobody actually tells you:\nCompanies are divided into teams with different functions. Some build the product, some sell it, some keep the organisation running, some set direction. When people ask what you do, they usually mean which of these teams you sit on, and how senior you are. Jobs are advertised under standard titles. No listing says \u0026ldquo;philosopher wanted\u0026rdquo;. They say analyst, associate, researcher, coordinator, consultant. A large part of job hunting is learning which titles describe work you would enjoy. Each guide on this site lists the relevant ones. Your first job is not a life decision. People change roles and industries all the time. Two years in a role that turns out to be wrong still leaves you with skills, references and a much clearer idea of what you want. A philosophy degree does not correspond to a job title. It corresponds to abilities: analysis, writing, following an argument to its end, changing your mind when the evidence says to. The guides here are different places where those abilities are paid for. Questions worth asking yourself # Not a test, and there are no scores. These are prompts to sit with, and each points at several guides at once, because the fields overlap and so do people. Most of us would answer differently at 22, 26 and 30.\nWhat do you do when nobody assigns you anything? Free evenings are data. If you end up writing, look at Media \u0026amp; Writing. If you end up in arguments about what\u0026rsquo;s right, look at Ethics Consulting and AI \u0026amp; Data Ethics. If you organise things and people, look at Business, Mentoring \u0026amp; Beyond and Entrepreneurship \u0026amp; Startups.\nWhen you read about a scandal or a disaster, which part holds your attention? The wrongness of it points at the ethics fields. The system that failed points at Risk and Blockchain \u0026amp; Fintech. The money points at Venture Capital and fintech. The people involved point at recruitment and mentoring. Most good stories have all four, which is rather the point: you can enter the same world through different doors.\nDo you want philosophy to be the subject of your work, or the way you work? Ethics consulting and AI ethics make it the subject. Management Consulting, VC, startups and operations roles use it as a method. Neither is the more serious choice, and people cross between them mid-career in both directions.\nHow much structure do you want right now? Right now, not forever. Graduate schemes and big organisations give you training, a ladder and colleagues who have time for you. Small teams give you responsibility years early. Both are good first chapters, and each one teaches you what you\u0026rsquo;re missing from the other.\nWhose job makes you a little jealous? Envy is useful information. When someone mentions their work and it stings slightly, write down what they do. After a few weeks the list will tell you something no questionnaire can.\nIf the answers point in three directions at once, that\u0026rsquo;s normal, and it isn\u0026rsquo;t a problem you need to resolve before starting. Read a couple of guides and then do something from the list below.\nThe fields, in plain language # AI \u0026amp; Data Ethics # Tech companies, auditors and research institutes hire people to work out what counts as fair or harmful in AI systems, and to build rules around that. Roles are advertised as AI ethics researcher, responsible AI analyst or AI governance manager.\nEthics Consulting # Small firms and university centres that organisations pay for ethical advice. Roles: ethics consultant, research governance adviser. Of all the fields here, this one is closest to what you did in the seminar room, with real cases instead of thought experiments.\nManagement Consulting # Firms like the Big Four and McKinsey hire graduates to solve business problems in small teams. Roles: business analyst, associate consultant. There is a marked entrance (graduate schemes, case interviews) and the training carries into whatever you do afterwards.\nRisk \u0026amp; Catastrophic Risk # Teams at tech companies that prevent harm on their platforms, and research institutes that study large-scale threats. Roles: risk analyst, trust \u0026amp; safety analyst, researcher.\nBlockchain \u0026amp; Fintech # Young companies building financial and governance systems from scratch. Roles: protocol researcher, governance analyst, community lead. Credentials matter less here than clear thinking.\nVenture Capital # Small funds that invest in early companies. Roles: venture analyst, investment associate. The core of the job is written argument: an investment memo defends a debatable claim against objections.\nEntrepreneurship \u0026amp; Startups # Starting a company, or joining one early and doing a bit of everything. Roles: founder, founding team, chief of staff, generalist. More ownership and faster learning than any graduate scheme, less stability.\nMedia \u0026amp; Writing # Content marketing, technical writing, journalism, public philosophy. Roles: content writer, copywriter, editor. The obvious direction if writing was your favourite part of the degree.\nCybersecurity \u0026amp; Recruitment # Finding and judging technical experts without being one yourself. Roles: recruitment consultant, talent acquisition specialist.\nBusiness, Mentoring \u0026amp; Beyond # The ordinary roles most organisations run on: operations, programme management, people, ESG. Also mission-driven work like mentoring organisations. Roles: operations associate, programme coordinator, chief of staff.\nMostly: start doing things # Reading about fields has diminishing returns, and it arrives fast. Two weeks of trying something teaches you more than two months of research, because you learn how the work feels rather than how it\u0026rsquo;s described. None of these commit you to anything, and all of them generate information:\nWrite one piece and publish it anywhere. A blog post about a question you care about. This is the direct route into writing careers, and every other field on this site treats published writing as evidence of thinking. Ask one person about their job. Find someone whose work looks interesting, on LinkedIn or through our stories, and ask for twenty minutes. People say yes to this far more often than students expect. Take one free course. ForHumanity\u0026rsquo;s algorithm ethics course, the DeFi and digital currency MOOCs in our blockchain resources, or a practice case from a consulting firm\u0026rsquo;s careers site. See which one you finish. Join something. A community, a volunteer organisation, a project that needs hands. Joshua\u0026rsquo;s route into cybersecurity ran through volunteering at ForHumanity, not through a job application. Start something small. A reading group, a newsletter, an event. Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi itself started this way. You find out quickly whether building things suits you. Do a few of these in parallel. The ones you keep doing without effort are telling you where to look next.\nThis list is not complete # These are the fields people in our community have gone into. We also know philosophers in law, public policy, government, teaching, product management and publishing, and there are paths nobody here has taken yet. If you\u0026rsquo;ve built a career we haven\u0026rsquo;t covered, tell us about it. Someone a few years behind you needs to read it.\nTake the community with you 1,800+ philosophers get the Let's Phi newsletter: career stories, opportunities and resources for life beyond academia. It only goes out when there is something worth reading.\nPrefer to browse first? Read the newsletter on Substack.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/start/","section":"Beyond Academic Philosophy","summary":" Most philosophy graduates don’t know what they want to do next. Nothing has gone wrong. Degrees teach the subject, not the job market. This page explains how that world is organised, offers some questions worth sitting with, and suggests things you can actually try. There is no quiz, because no quiz can answer this. How the job world is organised # Some things everyone assumes you know, and nobody actually tells you:\n","title":"I Don't Know What I Want to Do","type":"page"},{"content":" Roles where philosophers are a genuinely good fit — and the places where they keep appearing. This board is refreshed with each newsletter issue. If your organisation is hiring and you think philosophers would thrive in the role, get in touch and we\u0026rsquo;ll list it.\nCurrent openings # Last refreshed: 12 July 2026.\nHead of US Policy at GovAI — senior role directing federal AI policy research from Washington, DC. Initial deadline 6 August 2026, rolling thereafter. Where to look # The listings above go stale; these sources don\u0026rsquo;t. If you check a few of them monthly, you will see most of the philosopher-shaped openings:\n80,000 Hours job board — the richest single source of ethics, AI governance and policy roles; filter for \u0026ldquo;policy\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;research\u0026rdquo;. GovAI opportunities — recurring winter/summer fellowships in AI governance; a well-trodden path from philosophy into AI policy. PhilJobs — the academic job board, but it also carries non-academic listings. Daily Nous — non-academic careers — the philosophy profession\u0026rsquo;s news site; tracks who\u0026rsquo;s hiring philosophers and profiles those who left. APA — beyond the academy — the American Philosophical Association\u0026rsquo;s resources on non-academic careers. Ethics consultancies — small firms like Principia Advisory (where Christine Jakobson works) hire philosophers directly; find them via our Stories and follow the firms. Where philosophers end up # Our community members and speakers have built careers in:\nEthics consulting — professional ethics, research governance, corporate advisory AI ethics \u0026amp; responsible tech — from bioethics at Google to AI policy Risk analysis — operationalising philosophical thinking for risk and global catastrophe research Web3 \u0026amp; fintech — decentralised finance, law-tech, norm-subverting technology Media \u0026amp; writing — public philosophy, journalism, content marketing Recruitment \u0026amp; mentoring — connecting people with high-impact careers Browse Stories and the events archive to see the paths in detail.\nArchive # Recruiting Consultant / Talent Community Manager (internship) at cyberunity — posted August 2022 (details) ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/opportunities/","section":"Beyond Academic Philosophy","summary":" Roles where philosophers are a genuinely good fit — and the places where they keep appearing. This board is refreshed with each newsletter issue. If your organisation is hiring and you think philosophers would thrive in the role, get in touch and we’ll list it.\n","title":"Opportunities","type":"page"},{"content":" People from the Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi community: most spoke at our events about the careers they built outside academia, and two ran our St Andrews chapter. Below is what we know about each journey, with links to go deeper. McKenna FitzgeraldDeputy Director, Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI)BA in Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley (2018) Geoff KeelingBioethicist at GooglePhD in Philosophy, University of Bristol (2020) Christine JakobsonAssociate Principal, Principia AdvisoryPhD in Philosophy, University of Cambridge (2021) Jim BaxterProfessional Ethics Consultancy Team Leader, IDEA Centre, University of LeedsPhD in Philosophy, University of Leeds (2017) Kathryn Mecrow-FlynnCEO and President, Magnify MentoringBachelor of Law, SOAS University of London Mariana RazinaFreelance MarketerCo-founded the Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi St Andrews chapter Yangtian XuSummer Analyst, Bank of AmericaCo-founded the Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi St Andrews chapter McKenna Fitzgerald # McKenna studied philosophy at UC Berkeley and is now Deputy Director of the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute, a research institute studying risks that could be catastrophic at a global scale. She got there on a 2018 BA, not a PhD. In April 2022 she gave our workshop on ethics for preventing global catastrophe. Her field has its own guide: Risk \u0026amp; Catastrophic Risk.\nGeoff Keeling # Geoff finished his philosophy PhD at Bristol in 2020 and is now a bioethicist at Google. In November 2021 he talked to us about bioethics and ethics consulting for tech companies. His job title alone answers a question students often ask: yes, big tech companies employ philosophers to do ethics full time. See the AI \u0026amp; Data Ethics guide.\nChristine Jakobson # Christine went from a philosophy PhD at Cambridge to Principia Advisory, a consultancy that organisations pay for advice on ethics, where she is an Associate Principal. She gave our ethics consulting workshop in October 2021. Her work sits where two of our guides meet: Ethics Consulting for the subject, and Management Consulting for the advisory model.\nJim Baxter # Jim did his philosophy PhD at Leeds and stayed, but on the consulting side: he leads the professional ethics consultancy team at the IDEA Centre, which organisations pay for advice on applied ethics. He walked us through professional ethics consultancy in July 2021. The Ethics Consulting guide covers this route, including the university-centre version of it.\nKathryn Mecrow-Flynn # Kathryn built Magnify Mentoring and leads it as CEO and President. She came to us in July 2021 to talk about high-impact mentoring. Her story spans two guides: Business, Mentoring \u0026amp; Beyond for the mentoring work itself, and Entrepreneurship \u0026amp; Startups for what it takes to build the organisation.\nMariana Razina # Mariana co-founded our St Andrews chapter, which brought talks, workshops and networking sessions to philosophy students on campus. She now works as a freelance marketer.\nYangtian Xu # Yangtian co-founded the St Andrews chapter alongside Mariana. He is now a summer analyst at Bank of America.\nMore journeys from the library # Alessandra Fassio — Senior Data Ethicist at the UK Ministry of Justice, the first and only role of its kind in her department, with a philosophy MA and an MSc from Edinburgh behind it. Read our full interview. Katie Evans — freelance AI ethics consultant with an MA in ethical and political philosophy from the Sorbonne; she has worked with IEEE on ethical standards for autonomous vehicles, with IRCAI on AI policy, and with UNESCO. Read our full interview. Joshua Bucheli — political and legal philosophy MA (Bern), former Let\u0026rsquo;s Phi head of community, now in cybersecurity recruitment at Cyberunity. His own account is on the about page, and the Cybersecurity \u0026amp; Recruitment guide covers his field. Alex Yates — wrote a doctoral dissertation on Frege\u0026rsquo;s philosophy of logic at St Andrews, then built a career in content marketing, first freelance and then full time. Covered in the Media \u0026amp; Writing guide. Christina Norgard Rud — Philosophy \u0026amp; Public Policy MSc (LSE), co-founder of Squid, a cross-chain liquidity startup. Covered in Blockchain \u0026amp; Fintech and Entrepreneurship \u0026amp; Startups. Noam Maoz — MA in Philosophy of Technology (Tel-Aviv), risk prevention specialist in tech at Meta and long-time community member. Covered in the Risk \u0026amp; Catastrophic Risk guide. Is your story missing from this page? If you studied philosophy and built a career outside academia, we\u0026rsquo;d love to interview you — one relaxed conversation, and your story helps the next philosopher make the leap. Reach out to Konrad on LinkedIn.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/stories/","section":"Beyond Academic Philosophy","summary":" People from the Let’s Phi community: most spoke at our events about the careers they built outside academia, and two ran our St Andrews chapter. Below is what we know about each journey, with links to go deeper. McKenna FitzgeraldDeputy Director, Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI)BA in Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley (2018) Geoff KeelingBioethicist at GooglePhD in Philosophy, University of Bristol (2020) Christine JakobsonAssociate Principal, Principia AdvisoryPhD in Philosophy, University of Cambridge (2021) Jim BaxterProfessional Ethics Consultancy Team Leader, IDEA Centre, University of LeedsPhD in Philosophy, University of Leeds (2017) Kathryn Mecrow-FlynnCEO and President, Magnify MentoringBachelor of Law, SOAS University of London Mariana RazinaFreelance MarketerCo-founded the Let’s Phi St Andrews chapter Yangtian XuSummer Analyst, Bank of AmericaCo-founded the Let’s Phi St Andrews chapter McKenna Fitzgerald # McKenna studied philosophy at UC Berkeley and is now Deputy Director of the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute, a research institute studying risks that could be catastrophic at a global scale. She got there on a 2018 BA, not a PhD. In April 2022 she gave our workshop on ethics for preventing global catastrophe. Her field has its own guide: Risk \u0026 Catastrophic Risk.\n","title":"Stories","type":"page"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags","type":"tags"}]