How (not) to play life's games
Whether you're chasing supermarket stickers, maintaining a fitness streak or protecting your Duolingo score, many of us are motivated by points, rewards and badges. But what happens when the game starts to shape the choices we make?
Gamification – the use of game-design elements such as points and rewards in everyday life – can be a powerful way to change behaviour. But alongside its benefits come practical and ethical risks. Drawing on ancient and contemporary moral philosophy, this talk explores how we can use these technologies without letting them shape what we value most.
Bio
Elizabeth Stewart is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Canterbury. She is interested in the ethics of new technologies, with research expertise in the philosophy of trust, techno-moral virtues and artificial intelligence. She teaches numerous courses on ethics and artificial intelligence, and across her teaching and research she explores what it means to live a good human life in the digital age.
Event
Tuesday, 15 September 2026, 6:30pm – 7:30pm @Renegade Brewing Co,
The other talk at this location is Can animals predict natural disasters? at 8:00pm – 9:00pm
