I am a moral psychologist at the University of Oxford, studying the societal impact of artificial intelligence. My research examines how human values and decision-making shape—and are shaped by—AI systems. I aim to generate insights that help us understand and navigate the large-scale risks and opportunities that AI introduces.
Beyond AI, my work focuses on prosociality, investigating how people expand their moral boundaries—extending compassion effectively beyond their immediate communities to distant populations, animals, and even potential future digital minds.
You can reach me at lucius.caviola@gmail.com, on X, or by sharing your anonymous feedback.
selected recent Research
I co-created Giving Multiplier, a donation platform designed to introduce people to effective giving. It is based on research by Joshua Greene and myself, has fundraised $4 million for charities, received an award by the Gates Foundation, and was featured in the LA Times, MarketWatch, and Vox.
Book
Together with my colleague Stefan Schubert, I recently published an academic book on the psychology of effective altruism at Oxford University Press. Effective Altruism and the Human Mind builds on decades of psychological research. It explains why people often don’t choose the most effective strategies to help others and explores what can be done to change that. The book and its audiobook version are available for free.