Prof. Silvia Camporesi

New paper out with Matija Mato Škerbić in the Journal of the Philosophy of Sport: Techno-optimism and the Enhanced Games: a critical analysis of medically supervised radical human enhancement,, DOI: 10.1080/00948705.2026.2691774

Key message of this paper:

Our goal in this paper is not to take a position in favour or against the Enhanced Games (EG), but to unveil their strategy of ‘value alignment’ with philosophy and ethics of sport literature by critically analysing the four pillars that represent the conceptual foundation of the EG. 

The EG can be interpreted – and, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to do so – as engaging in a form of value alignment strategy analogous to those identified in AI ethics. Rather than simply rejecting existing norms in sport, the EG actively seek to reframe their practices in relation to core concepts within the philosophy of sport, such as spirit of sport, the pursuit of excellence and the role of technology in enhancing performance. In doing so, they attempt to secure a form of normative legitimacy by presenting enhancement not as a deviation from sporting values, but as a more explicit and consistent realization of them. This strategy mirrors broader patterns in technological governance, where ethical frameworks are used not only to regulate practices, but also to render them socially acceptable.

From this perspective, the EG can be interpreted as an effort to realign the value structure of elite sport itself, shifting the justificatory basis of competition away from natural limits and towards openly enhanced human capability.

If you’d like to read the full paper, DM me for pdf.