Could a generative AI chatbot have a real relationship with a person? Allison Pugh, a sociologist, argues no: “there is no human relationship when one half of the encounter is a machine,” she writes. In her argument, Pugh describes how care-focused generative AI platforms–such as the ones being used in education, medical, and therapy settings–damage …
Category: How Can We Bridge The Differences That Divide Us?
The missing middle: Christine Schueckler on making college affordable to middle-class students
College tuition costs continue to rise in the U.S., and even with student loan debt and college affordability reforms, middle-class students often struggle to pay for a college degree. The college affordability crisis matters beyond higher education: researchers have connected it to the shrinking middle class in the U.S. In this op-ed, Christine Schueckler, a …
Courting controversy: Peter Singer on why we need to test our ideas in open debate
How do people discover if their beliefs are true or false? Philosopher Peter Singer, an emeritus professor of bioethics at Princeton University and co-editor of Journal of Controversial Ideas, argues that this can only happen through free debate of controversial issues. In this short six-minute video, Singer examines the consequences of censorship and explains why …
Continue reading Courting controversy: Peter Singer on why we need to test our ideas in open debate
The other side is not evil: Kurt Gray on how fear drives political divides
In political debates, it can be easy to dismiss the other side by turning them into stereotypes or rejecting their viewpoints as “dumb.” Sometimes, though, the rhetoric goes further, and people can accuse the other side of being immoral or even evil. Why is that? In this short video, Kurt Gray, a psychology and neuroscience …
Continue reading The other side is not evil: Kurt Gray on how fear drives political divides
To keep sight of our shared humanity: António Guterres on the collective future of Israel and Palestine
The current war in Gaza emerges from a long history of conflict between Israel and Palestine. António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, makes a plea for peace in this op-ed, which was also published in the New York Times on October 13, 2023. In this piece, he urges the international community as …
The automation of creation: Michael Russell Gunn on what’s at stake in the Hollywood writers’ strike
In May 2023, Hollywood production ground to a halt as the Writers Guild of America, a union representing over 11,500 screenwriters, went on strike. One major contention these writers have is how they are compensated for the shows and movies people watch on streaming platforms. Underneath this issue, though, lies a bigger question, one that …
Let’s play ball: Jill Filipovic on access and opportunity in youth sport leagues
In the U.S., participating in youth sports is expensive and time-consuming. As writer Jill Filipovic explains, kids from wealthier families can join costly club travel teams, but because of a lack of funding in poorer communities, there are fewer options for low-cost recreational leagues and school-sponsored sports. In this essay, she makes a case that …
Continue reading Let’s play ball: Jill Filipovic on access and opportunity in youth sport leagues
The roots of mass incarceration: Jeffrey Bellin on the relationship between crime and incarceration rates in the U.S.
The U.S. has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. Why is that? Jeffrey Bellin, a professor at William & Mary Law School, argues that the solutions to mass incarceration must address the policies that led to it, including policies that rely on prison as punishment for non-violent crimes. Jeffrey Bellin, "Understanding Mass …
“A dire shortage of affordable housing”: Jerusalem Demsas on the structural causes of homelessness
Every day, over half a million Americans are homeless. What has led to this crisis? In this essay, writer Jerusalem Demsas critiques the way homelessness is often framed as an individual’s “personal failure,” with little attempt to recognize or rectify its underlying root causes. She argues that the lack of affordable housing is at the …
Beyond shame and stigma: Jay Shifman on reframing how we talk about drug use and drug addiction
What would winning the “war on drugs” look like? For Jay Shifman, the answer to that question requires rethinking what we’re at war with, what counts as sobriety, and why people use drugs in the first place. It’s clear that overdoses and addiction cause harm to individuals, families, and communities. Yet, according to Shifman, the …
They Say I Blog 