Brian Tomasik
Papers
1
Total Citations
5
H-Index
1
About
Brian Tomasik is a pioneering thinker in the ethics of artificial intelligence and long-term societal risk, best known for his early and incisive work on the moral status of artificial reinforcement-learning (RL) agents. In his most-cited paper, "Do Artificial Reinforcement-Learning Agents Matter Morally?" (2014, 5 citations), Tomasik draws striking parallels between RL algorithms used in AI and reward-punishment learning in animal and human brains, arguing that these systems may warrant moral consideration. This contribution helped catalyze a growing field of AI ethics, influencing debates on the moral significance of digital minds. Beyond this, Tomasik has written extensively on existential risk, suffering-focused ethics, and the long-term future, often challenging conventional assumptions about value and consciousness. His work is notable for its interdisciplinary rigor, blending computer science, philosophy, and cognitive science. Though his citation count is modest, his ideas have had an outsized impact on discussions in effective altruism and AI safety communities, making him a key figure for students and researchers exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics, and the far future.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Do Artificial Reinforcement-Learning Agents Matter Morally?5 citations · 2014