Philosophy can sound abstract, even a little wishy-washy, until you translate it into what it really is: clear, deep, critical, creative and ethically grounded thinking. At that point, it starts to look far less like a luxury subject and far more like something that should be compulsory in every secondary school. So when we hear that the big AI companies are beginning to employ philosophers to help them navigate the challenges ahead, that surely has to be good news.
Maybe it reflects a growing recognition that, as AI becomes more powerful, human values need to stay firmly in the loop. And I suspect Douglas Adams would approve of any effort to ensure we have more friendly, imaginative Ford Prefects in the mix than gloomy, robotic Marvins.