RUBY HORNSBY
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Philosophy PhD | 2021-2025
University of Leeds
PhD Title: Can humans be friends with social robots?
Supervisors: Professor Christopher Megone and Dr. Natasha McKeever
Examination Committee: Dr. Alba Curry and Professor Roger Crisp
AHRC Funded via The White Rose College of Arts and Humanities
MA Philosophy | 2020-2021 | University of Leeds | Distinction
Funded by The Mangoletsi-Potts Scholarship.
BA Philosophy | 2017-2020 | University of Leeds | First Class
President of the University of Leeds Philosophy Society.
University of Leeds
PhD Title: Can humans be friends with social robots?
Supervisors: Professor Christopher Megone and Dr. Natasha McKeever
Examination Committee: Dr. Alba Curry and Professor Roger Crisp
AHRC Funded via The White Rose College of Arts and Humanities
MA Philosophy | 2020-2021 | University of Leeds | Distinction
Funded by The Mangoletsi-Potts Scholarship.
BA Philosophy | 2017-2020 | University of Leeds | First Class
President of the University of Leeds Philosophy Society.
PUBLICATIONS
Books
The Ethics of Online Dating (forthcoming) edited by Natasha McKeever, Luke Brunning and Ruby Hornsby. Bloomsbury Academic Press.
Book Chapters
Hornsby, R. & Megone, C. (forthcoming) Aristotle on Love and Friendship. The Routledge Handbook for the History of the Philosophy of Love.
Articles
Hornsby (2020) The Nature of Pleasure in Plato's Philebus. The Undergraduate Philosophy Journal of Australasia [Winner, Best Paper]
Conference Proceedings
Hornsby, R. (2025) Me and My Friend, The Robot: On recognising our (apparent) mutual love. Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence and Applications with IOS Press.
Media
McKeever, N. & Hornsby, R. (2022) Is it wrong to have sex with a robot? Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace.
The Ethics of Online Dating (forthcoming) edited by Natasha McKeever, Luke Brunning and Ruby Hornsby. Bloomsbury Academic Press.
Book Chapters
Hornsby, R. & Megone, C. (forthcoming) Aristotle on Love and Friendship. The Routledge Handbook for the History of the Philosophy of Love.
Articles
Hornsby (2020) The Nature of Pleasure in Plato's Philebus. The Undergraduate Philosophy Journal of Australasia [Winner, Best Paper]
Conference Proceedings
Hornsby, R. (2025) Me and My Friend, The Robot: On recognising our (apparent) mutual love. Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence and Applications with IOS Press.
Media
McKeever, N. & Hornsby, R. (2022) Is it wrong to have sex with a robot? Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace.
RECENT TALKS
- Human-AI Relationships Workshop | 2025 | University of Leeds | Can we be friends with robots?
- The Lyceum Project | 2024 | University of Oxford, Stanford University, Demokritos and The World Human Forum | My Imaginary Friend, The Robot
- RoboPhilosophy Conference | 2024 | Aarhus University | My Friend: The Robot?
- [Invited] Robotics at Leeds| 2023, 2024 | Leeds University | An Intro to AI Ethics and The Ethics of Sex Robots
- International Conference on Robotics and Automation | 2024 | Yokohama, Japan | The Ethics of Human-Robot Friendships
- [Invited] Human-AI Relationships Workshop | 2024 | University of Zurich | Love and AI
- PAIS Ethics of AI Doctoral Colloquium | 2023 | University of Oxford | My Imaginary Friend: The Robot
- [Invited, Award Winning] WROCAH Festival of Research | 2023 | Universities of York, Sheffield and Leeds | Is it wrong to have sex with a robot?
- [Invited] Love and Technology Workshop | 2023 | University of Cologne | Can robots really recognise love?
- MANCEPT Equality in Intimate Human Life | 2022 | University of Manchester | Is Mutual Love between Humans and Robots Possible?
- 15th International Workshop on Human-Friendly Robotics | 2022 | Delft University of Technology | Is reciprocal human-robot love possible?
ORGANISED WORKSHOPS
The Future of Intimacy Workshop | 2025 | Leeds University
Co-Organised with Natasha McKeever
Human-AI Relationships Workshop | 2025 | Leeds University
Funded by The Society for Applied Philosophy
MANCEPT Equality in Intimate Human Life | 2024 | Manchester University
Co-organised with Natasha McKeever, Luke Brunning, Brian Earp and Kritika Maheshwari
Ethical Dating Online Workshop | 2024 | Leeds University
Co-Organised with Luke Brunning and Natasha McKeever
Co-Organised with Natasha McKeever
Human-AI Relationships Workshop | 2025 | Leeds University
Funded by The Society for Applied Philosophy
MANCEPT Equality in Intimate Human Life | 2024 | Manchester University
Co-organised with Natasha McKeever, Luke Brunning, Brian Earp and Kritika Maheshwari
Ethical Dating Online Workshop | 2024 | Leeds University
Co-Organised with Luke Brunning and Natasha McKeever
POST-GRADUATE RESEARCH EMPLOYMENT
Postgraduate Research Assistant | 2024-2026 | Ethical Dating Online | Funded By The British Academy.
Postgraduate Admin Assistant | 2024-2025 | Centre for Love, Sex and Relationships, University of Leeds
Postgraduate Admin Assistant | 2024-2025 | Centre for Love, Sex and Relationships, University of Leeds
COMPETITIVE TRAINING COURSES
Think, Break, Create Fellow and Winner | 2025
Competitive Scheme open to PhD researchers, Post-Doctoral Researchers and Academic Staff across the whole of Leeds University (Humanities and STEM). The scheme provided training the commercialisation of academic research. I was awarded first place and funding (£3500) to expand a social enterprise called Wiser Debate Club: A philosophical debate club for people aged 50+
AHRC Funded TV PhD Delegate | 2023
Delegates received intensive media training by a selection of experts. We also received a pass to attend the Edinburgh TV Festival. Whilst there, I was asked to be an expert panellist for a live magazine show at the festival on the topic of AI Ethics.
Competitive Scheme open to PhD researchers, Post-Doctoral Researchers and Academic Staff across the whole of Leeds University (Humanities and STEM). The scheme provided training the commercialisation of academic research. I was awarded first place and funding (£3500) to expand a social enterprise called Wiser Debate Club: A philosophical debate club for people aged 50+
AHRC Funded TV PhD Delegate | 2023
Delegates received intensive media training by a selection of experts. We also received a pass to attend the Edinburgh TV Festival. Whilst there, I was asked to be an expert panellist for a live magazine show at the festival on the topic of AI Ethics.
IMPACT & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Philosophers Yard | 2026 | Public Debate
Technecast | 2025 | Podcast: Can we be friends with robots?
Vox | 2025 | Interviewed for Article: The Rise of Chatbot Friends
Leeds Student Radio | 2025 | Topic: Is it good to form relationships with AI?
Public Debate | 2025 | Leeds University X Leeds Salon | Topic: Exploring the Ethics of Dating Apps | Co-organised with Natasha McKeever and Luke Brunning.
LUU Philosophy Society | 2023, 2024, 2025 | Guest Speaker
Ethics Untangled | 2024 | Podcast: Can we be friends with robots?
Public Debate | 2023 | Leeds University X Leeds Salon | Debate: Can we be friends with robots?
Debate Judge | 2022 - 2025 | Leeds Salon Sixth Form Debate Competition
Debate Judge | 2023 - 2025 | The Ethics Cup | Leeds University
Leeds Love Month | 2023 | Four Evenings of Public Philosophy in Leeds | Co-organised with Sophie Goddard, Natasha McKeever and Luke Brunning.
Technecast | 2025 | Podcast: Can we be friends with robots?
Vox | 2025 | Interviewed for Article: The Rise of Chatbot Friends
Leeds Student Radio | 2025 | Topic: Is it good to form relationships with AI?
Public Debate | 2025 | Leeds University X Leeds Salon | Topic: Exploring the Ethics of Dating Apps | Co-organised with Natasha McKeever and Luke Brunning.
LUU Philosophy Society | 2023, 2024, 2025 | Guest Speaker
Ethics Untangled | 2024 | Podcast: Can we be friends with robots?
Public Debate | 2023 | Leeds University X Leeds Salon | Debate: Can we be friends with robots?
Debate Judge | 2022 - 2025 | Leeds Salon Sixth Form Debate Competition
Debate Judge | 2023 - 2025 | The Ethics Cup | Leeds University
Leeds Love Month | 2023 | Four Evenings of Public Philosophy in Leeds | Co-organised with Sophie Goddard, Natasha McKeever and Luke Brunning.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Guest Undergraduate Lecturer | University of Leeds | 2025
Lecture: Can humans be friends with social robots?
Module: The Philosophy of Sex and Relationships | School of Philosophy
Undergraduate Seminar Leader | University of Leeds | 2021-2025
Guest Seminar Leader: Help! My Therapist is a Chatbot | School of Medicine | 2024
Module: Love, Sex and Relationships | School of Philosophy | 2023, 2024
Module: Introduction to Applied Ethics | School of Dentistry | 2022, 2023, 2024
Module: Consent and Confidentiality | School of Medicine | 2022, 2023
Ethics Seminar Leader | BAE Systems UK | 2023
6-Month PhD internship leading ethics seminars across the UK.
Anonymous Teaching Feedback
Lecture: Can humans be friends with social robots?
Module: The Philosophy of Sex and Relationships | School of Philosophy
Undergraduate Seminar Leader | University of Leeds | 2021-2025
Guest Seminar Leader: Help! My Therapist is a Chatbot | School of Medicine | 2024
Module: Love, Sex and Relationships | School of Philosophy | 2023, 2024
Module: Introduction to Applied Ethics | School of Dentistry | 2022, 2023, 2024
Module: Consent and Confidentiality | School of Medicine | 2022, 2023
Ethics Seminar Leader | BAE Systems UK | 2023
6-Month PhD internship leading ethics seminars across the UK.
Anonymous Teaching Feedback
“Amazing, best seminars I’ve had at Leeds”
“Thought provoking seminars and really engaging questions throughout”
“Ruby was the best seminar leader I’ve had!”
“Ruby was also really good at providing extra information and perspectives, challenging us to think critically”
“I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your ethics class [...] I found it really interesting and thought you facilitated it brilliantly! I always love ethics, but this was the best ethics class I’ve had in med school. Thank you!!”
PhD 6-MONTH PLACEMENT | BAE SYSTEMS UK
I shadowed the global head of ethics for BAE Systems UK, and ethics managers for twelve UK sites. This involved leading ethics seminars to employees across the whole business, including head-office and the shop floor. The PhD placement was funded by The AHRC though The White Rose College of Arts and Humanities and was supported by BAE Systems UK.