arXiv subjects

Sandrine R. Schiller

Publications and source records attributed to Sandrine R. Schiller.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Mechanistic Interpretability Needs Philosophy

Mechanistic interpretability (MI) aims to explain how neural networks work by uncovering their underlying mechanisms. As the field grows in influence, it is increasingly important to examine not just models themselves, but the assumptions, concepts and explanatory strategies implicit in MI research. We argue that mechanistic interpretability needs philosophy as an ongoing partner in clarifying its concepts, refining its methods, and navigating the epistemic and ethical complexities of interpreting AI systems. There is significant unrealised potential for progress in MI to be gained through deeper engagement with philosophers and philosophical frameworks. Taking three open problems from the MI literature as examples, this paper illustrates the value philosophy can add to MI research, and outlines a path toward deeper interdisciplinary dialogue.

cs.CL↗

arXiv2026

Postmortem avatars in grief therapy: Prospects, ethics, and governance

Postmortem avatars (PMAs) -- AI systems that simulate a deceased person by being fine-tuned on data they generated or that was generated about them -- have attracted growing scholarly attention, yet their potential role in clinical settings remains largely unexplored. This paper examines the ethics of deploying PMAs as therapeutic tools in grief therapy. Drawing on the dual-process model of grief, the theory of continuing bonds, and the philosophical framework of fictionalism, we propose two potential therapeutic applications: incorporating PMAs into established imaginal exercises such as the empty chair exercise, and treating the process of PMA creation as an art-therapeutic exercise in its own right. We consider five ethical objections to these applications and argue that none constitute knock-down arguments against therapeutic use, particularly given the risk-mitigating role of the clinical context. We conclude by identifying outstanding governance challenges and calling for empirical research, without which neither the promise nor the dangers of therapeutic PMAs can be adequately assessed.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2025

The Intercepted Self: How Generative AI Challenges the Dynamics of the Relational Self

Generative AI is changing our way of interacting with technology, others, and ourselves. Systems such as Microsoft copilot, Gemini and the expected Apple intelligence still awaits our prompt for action. Yet, it is likely that AI assistant systems will only become better at predicting our behaviour and acting on our behalf. Imagine new generations of generative and predictive AI deciding what you might like best at a new restaurant, picking an outfit that increases your chances on your date with a partner also chosen by the same or a similar system. Far from a science fiction scenario, the goal of several research programs is to build systems capable of assisting us in exactly this manner. The prospect urges us to rethink human-technology relations, but it also invites us to question how such systems might change the way we relate to ourselves. Building on our conception of the relational self, we question the possible effects of generative AI with respect to what we call the sphere of externalised output, the contextual sphere and the sphere of self-relating. In this paper, we attempt to deepen the existential considerations accompanying the AI revolution by outlining how generative AI enables the fulfilment of tasks and also increasingly anticipates, i.e. intercepts, our initiatives in these different spheres.

cs.CY↗