Alistair Isaac

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Alistair Isaac is a philosopher and cognitive scientist whose research bridges philosophy of mind, ethics of artificial intelligence, and the cognitive science of communication. His most-cited work, "White Lies on Silver Tongues" (2017, 31 citations), provocatively argues that effective social robots must not only detect deception but also produce it—challenging conventional assumptions about machine ethics. This paper has become a touchstone in debates about the moral status of AI deception, influencing both philosophical and engineering communities. Isaac’s broader contributions explore how cognitive mechanisms like perception, categorization, and social reasoning shape human and machine interaction. His work is notable for its interdisciplinary rigor, drawing on empirical psychology, robotics, and analytic philosophy to address foundational questions about mind and morality. With a growing citation footprint, Isaac is recognized for advancing nuanced discussions about the ethical design of autonomous systems, particularly regarding the tension between transparency and functionality. His research continues to inform how we think about trust, communication, and moral agency in increasingly intelligent machines.