Can you befriend artificial intelligence?

Can you befriend artificial intelligence?

Our Middle School Philosothon Club discuss some thought provoking topics.

In Week 8 of Autumn term, around 60 students participated in the Scotch Middle School Philosothon, and I was happy to be one of them. During the day, we were arranged into groups of 8 for each session and considered 4 dilemmas, from a littering school-captain to whether or not you can befriend artificial intelligence. It was enjoyable to hear boys from different years, backgrounds, and world views share their thoughts on the topic at hand, and to work together to come to a conclusion, even if we did still hold different opinions at the end of the discussion. I think the fact that we did not all agree may have even been the beauty of the Philosothon, as it enriched our discussions and allowed people to enlighten each other with new knowledge. It was an amazing event and I’m grateful to have participated. Philosophy allows you to see the world through new perspectives and to think differently. It has opened my eyes to a broader world, for which I am thankful. Also, go Bruce House!

Gray El-Ansary Year 7 and awarded Best Philosopher of the 2022 Middle School Interhouse Philosothon

I like Philosophy because I really think it’s right for me. I love the way you get to consider other viewpoints, and you can teach others about yours. I like it because there is no right or wrong, everyone just discusses what they feel and what they believe, and even though

you do get marked, everyone comes out of the discussion having learnt something new and explored something they hadn’t thought of. It’s like putting a bunch of minds together, and then seeing what this mega-mind can think up. You listen to each other, talk to each other, and there is no leader, so everyone is on the same level.

I liked the Philosothon because it’s something I’d never done before. It was a great way to meet new students who share common interests, who wish to learn something new about each other, and who aspire to deepen their knowledge and thinking skills. We also explored very interesting topics, and we built

Oliver Montandon (Year 8), Charlie Balnaves (Year 8), Obi Rogers (Year 8), Gray El-Ansary (Year 7), Lorenzo De Felice (Year 7), Zachary Rumball (Year 7), Jake Pridmore (Year 7), Tenney Yu (Year 7). Bruce house holding the MS Interhouse Philosothon Trophy

upon everyone else’s ideas, which we had never considered before. At the end of the day, everyone came out of it happy, calm, and feeling like they had learnt a lot.

Campbell Grieves Year 8 and a member of the 2022 Philosophy Club