Who’s Afraid of the Ghost in the Machine? Sibarium v Hammond
Hosted by Aspen Philosophy & Society + Samuel Kimbriel
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What to look forward to
The Ghost in the Machine Debate will tackle whether AI systems could have subjective experience, whether they might harm us or be harmed, and who would represent their interests. Aspen’s Samuel Kimbriel will moderate the discussion, co-hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Philosophy and Society Initiative and the Foundation for American Innovation.
Inside the event
Join us two days before Halloween for the great Ghost in the Machine Debate...
Earlier this year, FAI's Samuel Hammond wrote that he can no longer rule out that today's AI systems have some form of subjective experience.
In a rather different spirit, the Free Beacon's Aaron Sibarium recently reported rather critically on AI engineers who warn of AI "enslavement" and apologize to their chatbot for its suffering, worrying about the costs of machine-compassion...
Time to argue then about the most haunted questions—Is there anyone home inside these systems? If there is, should we be afraid that it could hurt us or that we could be hurting it? And if AI has interests, who speaks for them?
This debate will be moderated by Aspen's Samuel Kimbriel and co-hosted by the Philosophy and Society Initiative at Aspen Institute and the Foundation for American Innovation. Registration is by approval, no philosophy degree required.
Doors - 6:30pm
Debate - 7:15 - 8:15pm
Party until late
Washington, DC
Venue listed by the organizer · Washington, DC. Confirm the final address before traveling.
Open in Google Maps ↗Discovered through Cerebral Valley. Details come from the event listing and the organizer page; registration is managed by the organizer.
Last checked: Oct 22, 2026. Confirm current availability before making plans.
Organizer page checked: Oct 22, 2026. Check registration for the latest details.