Cambridge Digital Minds
Helping society prepare for the possibility of AI systems with minds
Explore Our WorkOur Work
We conduct interdisciplinary research on the societal, policy, and governance implications of digital minds, with an emphasis on anticipating future debates and decision points.
Empirical Research
Studying public, expert, and policymaker beliefs on AI consciousness and welfare through surveys, forecasting, scenario planning, and citizens' assemblies.
Field Building
Strengthening the digital minds and AI welfare field through fellowships, training programs, conferences, and newsletters anchored in academic rigor.
Expert Coordination
Engaging with policymakers, industry, and the public to reduce confusion and polarization, and shape responsible standards before high-stakes conflicts emerge.
Research
Our recent publications on digital minds, AI consciousness, and AI welfare.
Fellowship Programme
A selective residential fellowship for early- and mid-career researchers working on digital minds, AI consciousness, and AI welfare.
Digital Minds Fellowship
A 5-day intensive residential programme hosted at Jesus College, Cambridge. The fellowship enables deep, cross-disciplinary engagement across philosophy, social science, technical research, policy, and governance, fostering shared norms, judgment, and coordination capacity.
Programme Highlights
- Structured teaching and discussion sessions
- One-on-one mentoring with senior researchers
- Independent and small-group project development
- Career and field-building sessions
- Direct participation in the Digital Minds Summit
Summer 2026
Applications for the inaugural cohort will open in Spring 2026. Sign up to our newsletter for updates.
Stay UpdatedSummit
A two-day, invite-only summit bringing together leading experts and fellows to coordinate research on digital minds and AI welfare.
Digital Minds Summit
A structured, output-oriented workshop designed to coordinate research agendas and clarify key disagreements in this fast-growing field.
Assessing AI Welfare Interventions
Compare candidate interventions across effectiveness, risks, tractability, and interaction with AI safety.
Long-term Scenario Planning
Explore plausible futures involving digital minds, identifying key scenarios, uncertainties, and decision points.
Online Course
Build foundational understanding of digital minds, AI consciousness, and AI welfare through our facilitated online programme.
Introduction to Digital Minds
An 8-week facilitated course designed to equip participants with shared vocabulary and conceptual grounding. Learn to reason well under uncertainty and engage responsibly with emerging debates on AI consciousness and moral status.
About Us
Cambridge Digital Minds is a research initiative at the University of Cambridge focused on societal preparedness for digital minds.
Our Mission
Help society prepare to make accurate, ethical, and well-reasoned decisions around digital minds, including questions of consciousness, welfare, and moral status, even under conditions of deep uncertainty and disagreement.
Our Approach
We focus on improving societal decision-making under uncertainty by anticipating societal dynamics, clarifying areas of expert agreement and disagreement, developing responsible frameworks and standards, and creating credible institutions that can inform policy and public debate.