Can artificial intelligence transform how we navigate the most challenging dialogues on campus? Join us for a thought-provoking episode featuring philosopher and educator Simon Cullen, as he unveils his pioneering work at the intersection of education, technology, and constructive disagreement.

In conversation with John Tomasi, Simon explores how open inquiry is both advanced and imperiled by disagreement, and describes his academic journey from Australia to Princeton and Carnegie Mellon. Central to the discussion is ‘Sway’ an AI-powered platform developed by Simon and his team to foster rigorous, evidence-based dialogue among students on controversial topics. Sway intelligently pairs students with opposing views and acts as a “guide on the side,” scaffolding reasoning, encouraging intellectual humility, and ensuring that exchanges remain constructive and charitable. Simon shares the empirical findings from thousands of Sway-mediated dialogues, where measurable increases in students’ openness, comfort, and analytical reasoning have been observed—even on divisive subjects like gender, immigration, and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

In This Episode:

💥 The pedagogical importance of constructive disagreement and argument visualization

💥 The design and implementation of Sway: an AI tool for dialogue across differences

💥 Empirical research on autonomy, self-censorship, and openness to opposing viewpoints

💥 Strategies for motivating student engagement in difficult conversations

💥 Scalable, evidence-based methods for promoting viewpoint diversity in higher education

Want to experience Sway for yourself? You can instantly start a conversation—no account, no signup, no hassle. Just generate a link, share it with a friend (or a friendly opponent), and jump straight into a thoughtful dialogue.

Read more about research findings and reports

Explore Simon’s Argument Mapping Tool: Mindmup.com

About Simon:

Simon Cullen is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he also serves as a Dean's Innovation Scholar and Artificial Intelligence and Education Fellow. His interdisciplinary research integrates philosophy, cognitive science, and educational technology to enhance reasoning, communication, and understanding across moral and political divides. Cullen developed CMU's award-winning course, "Dangerous Ideas in Science and Society," which encourages students to engage constructively with controversial topics. He is also the co-creator of Sway, an AI-driven platform designed to facilitate thoughtful dialogue on contentious issues. His work has been featured in publications such as Science Advances, Nature Science of Learning, Cognition, and the Review of Philosophy and Psychology.

Cullen earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Princeton University, where he focused on the psychology of reasoning and moral psychology. His commitment to fostering open inquiry and intellectual independence is reflected in his role as a founding co-chair of CMU's Heterodox Community.

Learn more about Simon

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