Martin Rissler

I am based in a research-intensive department where, alongside my research, I teach, develop, and organise courses for approximately one thousand students per year in philosophy, ethics, science, technology, and society.

My research has two main areas, philosophy of mind and decision theory, and educational research, which are united by their connection to ethics and AI governance aligned to to the planetary and social boundaries, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Rockström et al., 2009, 2021, 2023; Raworth, 2017; United Nations, 2025; Sustainable Development Solutions Network, 2026).

Within the philosophy of mind and decision theory, I focus on theoretical and empirical criteria for consciousness, intelligence, free will, and AGI, with the aim of deepening our understanding of the moral and legal status of humans and AI systems, as well as the responsibilities associated with these issues (Chalmers, 1996, 2010; Lewis, 1980a, 1980b, 1983; Nagel, 1974; Rosenthal, 2009; Tononi et al., 2016; Brown, 2010, 2015; Mashour, 2020; Bayne et al., 2024; Butlin et al., 2025; Immertreu, 2025; Birch, 2024; Bostrom, 2014; Coeckelbergh, 2022; Dennett, 2019; Deutsch, 2011, 2019; Dignum, 2019, 2022, 2026; Gellers, 2021; Singer & Sagan, 2009a, 2009b; Schwitzgebel & Garza, 2020).

My educational research concerns how sustainability can best be taught in higher education, with a particular focus on environmental ethics. I also investigate how AI, both now and in the future, transforms and may transform education and learning, the concept of knowledge, and the capacity for judgment, as well as how technology affects the physical and psychosocial working and learning environments of teachers and students.

Grounded in theoretical and applied philosophy, including logic, philosophy of science, and political philosophy, I integrate critical theory and Science and Technology Studies (STS) to analyse how the design and governance of technology and AI can align with a sustainable planetary ecology and with geopolitical and social environmental justice, equity and gender equality.

In this era of the Anthropocene, in which human activities have led to an escalating climate crisis, and we encounter increasing geopolitical instability as well as rapid technological development, my overarching goal is to contribute to positive socio-ecological transformation. I am committed to advancing research that provides future generations with the ethical and adaptive design and governance frameworks needed to navigate an increasingly technology- and AI-driven world.