AI, Ethics, and Society
ECE59500
Credit Hours:
3This course will introduce students to ethical issues associated with the development, deployment, and use of AI. The course includes attention to fundamental technical and philosophical concepts, and provides opportunities to practice applying ethical principles to specific cases. The course is designed to enhance students' own moral and ethical commitments, and enhance their ability to identify ethical issues in the design and use of AI tools and systems. The course features extensive hands-on learning, reading, reflection, writing, and discussion.
Required Text(s):
- Oxford Handbook of Ethics of AI , Eds. M. Dubber, F. Pasquale, and S. Das , Oxford University Press , 2021 , ISBN No. 0197601448
Note:
The listed textbook is available in full-text online through the Purdue Libraries.
Recommended Text(s):
None.
Lecture Outline:
| Lectures | Lecture Topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | Course welcome, overview, and introductions |
| 3 | History of AI; Defining AI; Introduction to fundamental technical concepts |
| 2 | Philosophical foundations: Philosophy of mind & philosophy of computation |
| 2 | Engineering Ethics 101: Standards, frameworks, and principles |
| 6 | Contemporary issues, debates, and cases in the philosophy and ethics of AI |
| 1 | Exam #1 |
| 2 | Exploring AI ethics through futures research and science fiction |
| 2 | The Big Questions: AI and singularity, accelerationism, and more |
| 2 | Polarities: Malicious uses of AI vs. AI for social good |
| 2 | Policymaking and other macro-level strategies for governing AI |
| 4 | Local strategies for creating responsible, accountable, trustworthy AI systems |
| 1 | Course wrap-up and Exam #2 review |
Assessment Method:
Quizzes, homework, exams (4/2025).