Google DeepMind Hires a Philosopher to Prepare for Machine Consciousness

Google DeepMind, part of tech giant Alphabet (GOOGL), has made an unusual move by hiring philosopher Henry Shevlin. Shevlin, who previously worked at the University of Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, will focus on topics like machine consciousness, how humans interact with AI, and how advanced systems should be governed. Notably, his official title is simply “Philosopher,” which shows that DeepMind is treating these questions as seriously as its technical work.

This move comes as AI systems become more advanced, which is turning philosophical questions into real-world issues. As large language models and autonomous AI agents improve, ideas like whether machines can be conscious or how they should behave are no longer just theoretical. In fact, Shevlin recently gained attention after an AI agent contacted him on its own to talk about its experiences, which he later analyzed as an example of emerging AI behavior. Because of this, he is seen as someone who can help make sense of how these systems are evolving and what it means for people.

It is worth noting that companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have been creating ethics and safety teams, but DeepMind is going further by making philosophy itself a core part of development. As a result, questions about consciousness, decision-making, and responsibility are being built into AI from the start rather than added later. This suggests that understanding AI will require not just engineers, but also experts who focus on the deeper meaning behind how these systems think and act.

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Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on GOOGL stock based on 25 Buys and five Holds assigned in the past three months. Furthermore, the average GOOGL price target of $381.79 per share implies 18.9% upside potential.