Lecture: ‘The Pharmacology of Artificial Intelligence: How Are Digital Machines Transforming Our Minds and Societies?’ by Anne Alombert

WED 14 OCT 2026 — 4.00pm
How is the rapid development of artificial intelligence transforming our ability to think and to live in society?
A lecture organised as part of the educational programme, open to the public. Anne Alombert is an agrégée in philosophy and a senior lecturer in contemporary philosophy at the University of Paris 8.

How is the rapid development of artificial intelligence transforming our ability to think and to live in society?

To answer this question, we shall look back at the history of alphabetic writing and industrial automation, in order to understand the issues surrounding computer-based writing and digital automation. In the context of ‘generative artificial intelligence’ – which some transhumanists now describe as ‘digital minds’ – we should, conversely, ask ourselves how digital technologies affect our minds, both individually and collectively.

How are automatic text generators transforming our ability to think and express ourselves? What effects do ‘virtual companions’ have on our emotional lives and social relationships? What hidden risks lie behind the computational processing of language and the automation of otherness? 

We will reflect on the philosophical implications of these issues, whilst exploring ways to ‘embrace’ the ongoing industrial acceleration, in the areas of policy, education, the economy and innovation.

Biography

Anne Alombert holds an agrégation in philosophy and is a senior lecturer in contemporary philosophy at the University of Paris 8. Her research focuses on the relationships between life, technology, the mind and society, as well as the psychopolitical implications of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. She is the author of *Penser l’humain et la technique* (ENS Editions, 2023), *Schizophrénie numérique* (Allia, 2023), *The Capital That I Am Not* (Fayard, 2024), *Thinking with Bernard Stiegler* (PUF, 2025) and *On Artificial Stupidity* (Allia, 2025).

Senior Lecturer – Paris 8 University – Department of Philosophy
Laboratory for the Study and Research of Contemporary Philosophical Logics.
Personal website: https://organoesis.org/anne-alombert 

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