Daniele Cavalli

I am a PhD candidate and lecturer at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris – PSL Research University, part of the République des Savoirs (ENS, CNRS, Collège de France) and the European programme “Artificial Intelligence for the Sciences.” My thesis centres on the notion of human autonomy, with a primary focus on the co-evolution of the human in relation to technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Here, "autonomy" is understood chiefly as the capacity to exert a sufficient level of control over our decisions and the cognitive processes underpinning them. The theoretical aim of this thesis is to reconceptualise human autonomy as a relationship of interdependence with the agency of technological artefacts. This approach is grounded in the idea that adopting a different ontological perspective on human-machine interaction allows for new responses to ethical and societal challenges. Consequently, this work has a dual theoretical objective: first, to re-envision autonomy beyond a limited viewpoint that continues to regard it as a self-reflective capacity anchored solely in human rationality. I propose, instead, to frame autonomy in radically relational terms, reconsidering also cognition as constituted within a wider brain-body-environment system. At the same time, it is crucial to conceptualize the interaction between our cognitive processes and AI-powered technologies, aiming to offer a critical understanding of how human decision-making is co-constituted within these interconnected systems. The ultimate goal of this research is to provide ethical and design-oriented guidelines based on this theoretical reframing.

Could you please tell us a bit more about your scholarship/exchange programme?
I have been selected as visiting researcher at the Institute for Ethics in AI of the University of Oxford, and concurrently as fellow under the cooperation agreement between PSL University and the Maison Francaise d’Oxford (MFO). I will therefore be based in Oxford to continue my research in close collaboration with both the University of Oxford and the MFO's community. My aim is to deepen my research through close engagement with experts in my field and to expand my network with other key institutions, such as the Oxford Internet Institute and the Uehiro Oxford Institute.

Impressions of Oxford University?
Oxford and the university system around which it is built provide an ideal environment for writing, focused research, and intellectual engagement — all without sacrificing the vibrant cultural life and recreational opportunities the city offers. The atmosphere is both relaxing and dynamic, with an international feel. The network of colleges and institutes ensures that a visiting scholar’s experience is filled with a continuous stream of enriching events and activities.