{
  "id": 11166592,
  "title": "Reason is more than a tool",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/reason-is-more-than-a-tool",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-01T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Aeon",
    "slug": "aeon",
    "url": "https://aeon.co/essays/why-real-intelligence-is-something-more-than-optimisation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The AI revolution has reignited one of humanity's oldest philosophical debates – the nature and purpose of reason. In the 18th century, thinkers like David Hume argued reason is merely a servant to our passions, lacking the power to shape our ends or judge what we should pursue. Kant, however, believed reason is more than just a tool, capable of evaluating whether our ends are worthy and guiding us toward a better future. The AI systems that optimise and learn from experience have blurred the line between human intelligence and machine intelligence, prompting a re-examination of what it means to have reason. While Hume's view may seem too restrictive, Kant's notion of reason as a faculty for choosing and justifying ends is more empowering, allowing us to envision and strive for a better world.",
  "summary": "If intelligence is merely optimisation then machines will outrun us. Kant tells us why human reason is so much more - by Sasha Mudd Read on Aeon",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}