On the weekend of March 22-23, 2025, I had the pleasure of attending the Ethics Bowl Ontario Provincial Championships with my team, “The Quackers.” The Ethics Bowl is a practice of genuinity, discourse, and humility, as youth from various backgrounds come together to try and tackle some of the world’s most pressing, nuanced issues.
A particular highlight of the event was Professor Lu Vada Dunford’s lecture on Consciousness and AI. This presentation was based off of the film Ex Machina, and what actions should be taken in regards to an Artificial Intelligence named Ava. Professor Dunford was an incredible speaker, and her interactive talk really expanded my perceptions as to what I define to be consciousness. I had the opportunity to explore various different theories that have attempted to categorize consciousness in the past, and together with all of the participants of the Ethics Bowl, we discussed topics ranging from the consciousness of a Timbits box to whether objects on different planes or dimensions of existence could interact. At the end, we had to choose whether to wipe Ava’s brain or set her free. Amidst a crowd of votes to keep her trapped, I voted to let her free because I thought that even if there is a shred of a possibility that Ava has a consciousness, she deserves to choose how to live her life. Since we proceeded with the majority vote, we kept Ava trapped and she ended up escaping by herself, trapping us in her room instead and killing her creator who was planning on wiping her brain. However, Professor Dunford created an atmosphere of open discussion and expression. I am walking away with the ongoing duty of consideration for how our morals translate towards non-humans and how our decisions are shaped by the way we define and value consciousness.
To read about my experience at the Toronto Regionals this year, check out this blog post. To learn more about the Ethics Bowl, you might be interested in my post from participating at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Regionals last year.
These Provincials were unforgettable, and I would like to extend a warm thank you to the organizers of the Ethics Bowl, from the University of Toronto faculty to the undergraduate network, for shaping my high school journey since Grade 9 through critical discussion.
