Lyceum Project Leaders Talk Corporate Funding and AI in Education

Harvard professors joined members of the Lyceum Project, an interdisciplinary initiative integrating artificial intelligence and philosophy, to argue that Aristotelian values can guide conversations about AI at a panel Wednesday evening.

Inspired by Aristotle’s Lyceum, a philosophy school in ancient Greece, the project aims to bring together academics and practitioners to discuss human purpose and AI development. The panel was hosted by Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies.

Government lecturer Sergio Imparato, who moderated the event, applied examples of Aristotle’s conception of the purpose of life to AI.

“The function of a good excellent flute player is to play the flute in an excellent way. Similarly, the function of a good person is to excel in moral and intellectual habits,” Imparato said. “How does AI shape, reshape, if at all, the ways in which we conceive of excellence?”

Imparato also pointed to Aristotle’s emphasis on the role of public education. He said education served “not only to train citizens in economic utility or in war,” but to educate citizens in the importance of leisure.

Imparato said that, according to Aristotle, leisure time is important because it gives individuals the opportunity to cultivate “moral and intellectual virtues that the true public education should instill in the students.”

Maria Dagioglou, a panelist and member of the Lyceum Project, tied the initiative’s goals to the original Greek definition of “school,” which she said signified “taking a break from labor and engaging in leisure in thoughtful discussions in philosophy.”

“In these times that we are all running around like crazy and the rhythm is so fast, I’d like to think of the Lyceum Project as actually being the place where we have the opportunity to take a break to engage in thoughtful discussions and talk about philosophy,” Dagioglou said.

Imparato tied virtues of citizenship and education directly to Harvard’s mission.

“The Harvard mission states clearly, in an Aristotelian way, almost: ‘We educate the citizens and citizen leaders of tomorrow,’” he said. “So my question related to politics is: Can AI help us rethink what it means to be a citizen?”

Harvard leaders are paying increased attention to the impact AI will have on the purpose of a University education. In a start-of-term address to the incoming class, College Dean David J. Deming argued that the technology will launch a new era of higher education that requires a greater focus on community-building.

Panelists faced questions about the role companies should play in funding interdisciplinary AI research and argued that their influence should be limited.

“I would not like the Lyceum Project to be funded by super AI companies,” Alexandra Mitsotaki, World Human Forum president and Lyceum Project affiliate, said.

In an interview after the panel, Mitsotaki said she was wary of accepting funding that could limit the project’s independence.

“If funding means not allowing us the freedom to do and to express all our opinions, then it’s a problem,” she said, adding that she did want corporations to continue to be involved in conversations.

AI companies, including Anthropic and Google DeepMind, have hired philosophers to help address ethical questions surrounding AI development.

In her remarks, Mitsotaki emphasized the importance of the humanities in driving scientific progress.

“NASA has been using the name of those two gods to bring us humans to the moon. They did it with Apollo. They’re doing it again with Artemis,” she said. “If we humans reach the moon, it’s not just thanks to technology and science. It requires something else, and that something else is precisely the humanities, the spirituality, and the arts.”