Introduction to Digital Minds
An 8-week online course exploring the perceptions and plausibility of digital minds - and what this may mean for ethics and society.
Could AI systems become conscious? How would we know? And what would it mean if they did - or if millions of people believed they had?
Questions like these are moving from philosophy seminars to boardrooms and policy debates, making it increasingly urgent that we engage with them rigorously.
This free, expert-validated course equips you to navigate emerging questions around digital minds and prepares you for impactful work in this field.
What You'll Learn
Developed in collaboration with leading experts from Cambridge, NYU, Oxford, PRISM, Eleos AI, and beyond, this course covers:
Introduction and Moral Standing
What we're talking about when we talk about digital minds, and why it matters now
Theories of Consciousness
Challenges and theories to understanding consciousness, and how these may or may not apply to artificial systems
Testing for Consciousness and Other Mental States
Current approaches to evaluating consciousness and other mental states, and how to assess the results
Perceptions of Consciousness
How people perceive and relate to AI models, and what the effects and implications of this are
Decision-Making Under Uncertainty
Practical frameworks for action under uncertainty, and what companies and regulators are doing now
Interactions with AI Safety
How perceptions of and consideration for digital minds can both support and create tension with other AI safety issues
Digital Minds Governance
Approaches to governing digital minds, from prevention to protection and integration, and how these may play out
Summing Up and Next Steps
Drawing together learnings from the course, and identifying useful contributions you could make to the emerging field
Who Should Apply?
We're seeking participants with some grounding in AI and AI safety (equivalent to completing a BlueDot course or similar), and potential to shape these conversations.
We're hoping to welcome a diverse group of students to the first course. Whether you're a researcher, engineer, policymaker, journalist, lawyer or an interested individual, we encourage you to spend 2 minutes completing our short expression of interest form to hear when applications open.
Course Format
Core Programme
8 Weeks
- 2 hours of reading and preparation per week, following our expert-developed syllabus
- 1.5 hours of facilitated group discussion each week
- Access to a growing community of people studying and working on these questions
Project Phase
Optional 4-Week Extension
- Guidance on designing and executing an impactful project, using what you have learnt during the 8-week core program
- Prizes for outstanding work
- An opportunity to contribute to this growing field
Team
Ready to Join?
Applications open in February 2026. Please fill in our expression of interest form to learn more.
Express Interest