New paper out in Nature with some folks at Google DeepMind. We argue that AI systems should be evaluated for their *moral reasoning* just as they are evaluated for their ability to code or do math. And we provide a roadmap for evaluating moral competence in LLMs.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
19.02.2026 16:31
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Resist and Unsubscribe
Is a targeted, month-long national economic strike an effective form of protest against the unchecked power of masked agents who treat the Bill of Rights as a suggestion? I donβt know, but it sure is an opportunity to rethink where my money is going.
06.02.2026 15:46
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Will Artificial Intelligence Break Universities?
Not if they elevate formation above information.
I get asked a lot about how universities are dealing with AI. We can cope, I think. But we need to tread carefully and get back to basics.
open.substack.com/pub/joshdmay...
21.01.2026 17:43
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They Wanted a University Without Cancel Culture. Then Dissenters Were Ousted.
Inside the civil war at the anti-woke university backed by Bari Weiss.
The new University of Austin experiment doesnβt seem to be doing so well. Steven Pinker, who resigned from its board, says the university βhad no coherent vision of what higher education in the 21st century ought to be. Instead, they created UnWoke U led by a Faculty of the Canceled.β
19.01.2026 19:07
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If respect for voters is rooted in strategy, is it really respect? This question has been puzzling me as I hear (and appreciate) the call for Democrats to stop looking down their noses at voters.
joshdmay.substack.com
19.11.2025 01:50
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Philosophers + psychologists: Deadline extended to NOV 20th for the Southern Society for Philosophy & Psychology. Just over a week left to submit papers! southernsociety.org/AnnualMeeting/
11.11.2025 15:46
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The best analogy for social media is alcohol. Can you have a healthy relationship with it? Sure, but many donβt. Bad for society? Maybe on the whole, though problematic use is explained by both demand & supply. Should adults be free to use? Of course. Should 13-year-olds be regular users? Hell no.
09.11.2025 16:59
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Job ad screenshot
We're hiring! Philosophers: Do you know someone working in applied ethics, especially bioethics and/or AI ethics? Let them know about this fantastic tenure-track job at UAB! Birmingham is wonderful, as is UAB and our Philosophy Department. Deadline = Nov. 20. philjobs.org
28.10.2025 18:07
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Ohh Iβd love to hear any thoughts you have about it! Often on this topic I hear that the view Iβm propounding is either obvious right or obviously wrong. π€·ββοΈ
11.10.2025 13:37
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Glad you enjoyed! Iβm not very experienced in that side of things, so good to know it came off OK. I appreciate that feedback π
11.10.2025 13:36
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New post based on a lecture I gave in memory of Robin Lester, a neuroscientist and beloved member of the UAB community.
joshdmay.substack.com
10.10.2025 13:41
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19 pieces of teaching advice
Because it's a new semester
The best set of teaching tips Iβve ever seen, which Iβve long tried to follow. This tip certainly deserves to sit in the #1 slot. Itβs also the reason I feel absolutely exhausted after a day of teaching three classes!
02.09.2025 13:08
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Congrats!!
25.08.2025 15:43
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Confessions of a Motivated Reasoner
How Bias Shapes Politics, Science, and Everyday Life
The opening post on my Substack, Motivated Reasonings. Come for the self-flagellation, stay for the Matthew McConaughey quotes.
25.08.2025 15:42
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What a privilege to engage with these commentaries on my Neuroethics book, all in an open access journal. Really grateful for their thoughts and to Carolyn Dicey-Jennings for facilitating it. π
philosophymindscience.org/index.php/ph...
04.07.2025 14:00
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Joshua May, Neurodiversity with Nuance - PhilPapers
The neurodiversity movement grew out of the autism community but is now being applied to many neurological types, from dyslexia to schizophrenia. The resulting neurodiversity paradigm maintains that t...
New article coming out in Neuroethics! I started thinking about neurodiversity while in Rajesh Kana's autism lab. This paper has been years in the making, evolving through redrafting many times. Grateful to the many who provided feedback! π
23.05.2025 13:21
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Pure gold from the abstract: βEconomists do not track currency inflation with mere vibes; they use measurements such as the consumer price index.β
25.02.2025 01:09
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While itβs still Februaryβ¦ the best Valentines from UAB Philosophy Instagram β₯οΈ
24.02.2025 16:06
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Joshua May & Victor Kumar, Eating Fewer Animals: A Defense of Reducetarianism - PhilPapers
Moral arguments against the consumption of animal products from factory farms are traditionally categorical. The conclusions require people to eliminate from their diets all animal products (veganism)...
Think you should eat fewer animal products but aren't convinced everyone must go vegan? You may like our new article in the Journal of Moral Philosophy (w/@victorkumar.bsky.social). Lot of labor and love poured into his one. Pretty sure it's the first philosophical defense of a #reducetarian view.
23.02.2025 20:16
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