Questioning the Future

The MA in Philosophy Studentship Award is a new award put in place by a generous alumni donor to support the next generation of UCC students questioning the fundamental topics of our time.

Its inaugural recipient, Joshua Furlong, embodies the spirit of the award. With a particularly timely interest in the ethics of artificial intelligence, he is eager to explore how philosophy can inform the development and use of emerging technologies, ensuring that progress is measured not simply by what is possible, but by what is right.

An Impulse to Challenge

Born and raised in Cork City, Joshua has always had a passion for debate, creativity, and exploring ideas. From lively family discussions about music and politics to discovering a love of ethics at UCC, these interests have shaped an academic journey now focused on one of the most pressing ethical challenges we face.

Joshua’s interest in AI ethics emerged partly from his passion for music and concerns about AI-generated content. This grew into a focus on AI’s application in healthcare and medical diagnostics, where he notes that biased training data can reproduce existing inequalities relating to race, gender, and sex.

“Just because we can automate something does not mean we should,” Joshua says. “Some things require empathy, context, accountability, none of which AI can genuinely provide.”

Joshua shares that receiving the award marks a defining moment in his UCC journey. Having balanced demanding kitchen work with his undergraduate studies, the award will provide valuable support as he progresses to postgraduate study.

“The day I was informed I had been selected for this award, it all felt worth it,” he says. “Most importantly, I felt a sense of belonging that I hadn't before, which I am incredibly grateful for.”

Now More Than Ever

Paul Healy, the UCC alumnus whose generous donation has established this new award, believes philosophy, and supporting those who study it, might be more crucial now than ever before:

“I'm convinced that philosophical research and wisdom still have an invaluable, but often overlooked, contribution to make in today's world.”

Looking ahead, Joshua hopes to build on this support and develop his research through an MA dissertation in AI ethics, with a possible PhD and a future career in policy among his ambitions. He is keenly aware how this award has helped this trajectory, and that it is only the beginning of his journey.

“I just want to say thank you, to the donor who has genuinely changed my life, to the department who has supported me for the last number of years and to UCC for this opportunity and platform. It is such a loud world these days, everyone is getting buried under the words of another, so it is special to be able to take a moment and reflect, knowing that there is so much more to do.”

If you are interested in setting up a student scholarship, prize, or award, please contact foundation@ucc.ie.