Join the Critical AI Studies Reading Group at the Ahmanson Lab this Fall to explore the ideologies shaping artificial intelligence—from techno-utopianism to transhumanism, accelerationism, and more.
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Join us!
The Ahmanson Lab is looking for a diverse cohort of students to join our bi-weekly Critical AI Studies Reading group for Fall 2025. This group will engage with works in the history of technology, interdisciplinary perspectives on AI and society, and primary texts by influential tech thinkers and futurists that articulate and promote various Silicon Valley-isms—the dominant techno-ideologies shaping the development of artificial intelligence today.
Short Readings
Lively Discussion
Free Pizza
Open to all Majors
This is a unique opportunity to think critically about core texts in the philosophies and ideologies surrounding AI, and for those interested, to engage in public scholarship and foster campus-wide dialogue about these issues through research, writing, and organizing events.
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Why it matters.
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The path to solving hunger, disease and poverty is AI and robotics. Elon Musk (July 30, 2025). |
While much of the public conversation about artificial intelligence has focused on technological breakthroughs or market disruptions, less attention is paid to the techno-ideologies that drive the relentless pursuit of AI in Silicon Valley. From visions of god-like superintelligence to the promise of digital immortality, the development of AI is deeply entangled with a range of quasi-religious ideas about the future of humanity.
For figures like Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others, these beliefs radically reposition AI, not as a practical tool, but as a civilizational imperative; a development that they argue is essential for the survival, or even cosmic destiny, of the human species. What's more, because they see AI as pivotal to humanity's fate, and frame its development in near-religious terms, they believe their work is far too consequential to be impeded by any external forces, including regulatory oversight, broader social responsibilities, or ethical frameworks that might slow innovation. In this worldview, concerns about labor conditions, environmental impacts, algorithmic fairness, or the growing dominance of large tech firms become secondary—treated as manageable trade-offs or temporary challenges on the path to wildly speculative futures.
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What we'll read.
Over the course of the semester, we’ll examine a number of Silicon Valley-isms—including transhumanism, accelerationism, effective altruism, longtermism, and singularitarianism—and situate them within a longer history of technological utopianism, technological determinism, and techno-libertarianism. While a core set of readings will be provided, students will also have the opportunity to shape the syllabus by suggesting texts or topics that align with their interests and help expand the scope of our discussions.
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How it’ll work.
Four biweekly discussions. The current plan is to hold the Reading Group every other Thursday from 1:00PM–2:00PM on the dates listed below. However, we may revise this schedule if a significant number of interested students cannot accommodate the proposed dates/time.
September 18 | October 2 | October 16 | October 30
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Beyond the reading group (optional).
For members of the Reading Group interested in getting more involved with critical AI studies at the Ahmanson Lab, there will be opportunities to engage in the following activities throughout Fall 2025.
Organize a panel event at the Ahmanson Lab on the topic of Philosophy and AI.
Students in the reading group who wish to participate in this opportunity can take the lead in organizing a panel event in the fall by helping to select USC faculty speakers, shaping the central theme of the event, and crafting the guiding questions that will drive the conversation. Students may also serve as moderators or panelists themselves.
Publish blog posts or essays in the Ahmanson Lab’s journal, Simulation & Society.
Students can contribute original short- or long-form writing that reflects on individual texts or larger themes from the reading group. Simulation & Society is a stand-alone digital publication hosted on its own platform, with all essays and posts also published on our official LinkedIn journal page. Students’ essays can be shared both through the Lab’s LinkedIn presence and on their own profiles, allowing their work to reach wider academic and professional audiences.
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Details & Contact.
Contact: Curtis Fletcher at cfletche@usc.edu