The Philosophy and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Computing technology has already revolutionized our lives and shows no signs of stopping. Algorithms are everywhere. Artificial Intelligence powered by our data is increasingly determining our lives. The implementation of this technology has leapt ahead of our understanding of its ethical, societal, legal, and political significance. From self-driving cars to autonomous weapons, data-brokers to the metaverse, no aspects of our lives will be the same again. In this course, you will learn about cutting edge work from both within and outside academic philosophy concerning the challenges posed by the ever-increasing use of computing technology and AI. Questions raised in the course include: Do tech companies violate our right to privacy when they harvest our data? Can automated algorithmic decision-making deliver us a future free of human bias? Could an Artificial Intelligence possess freewill?

15 points

POLS137, DIGI102

The Brain Gym: An Introduction to Logic

This course provides a hands-on introduction to the core ideas of logical reasoning. Learn how to reason deductively and learn how to PROVE your conclusions. It's challenging, it's great exercise for your brain, and it's a valuable life skill.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, COSC, LING, MATH, or from the BE(Hons), or any 60 points at 100 level from any subject.

PHIL225, PHIL246, PHIL346, PHIL308, MATH208, MATH308

Cognition

This is an introductory course in cognitive psychology: the science of how the mind and brain are organised to produce intelligent human thought processes. Topics include visual cognition, attention, memory, problem solving and expertise, reasoning and decision making, and language comprehension.

15 points

PSYC104, or PSYC105 and PSYC106, or with the approval of the Head of Department, a pass in a professional year of Engineering, or in approved courses in Computer Science, Linguistics, or PhilosophyPSYC105 and PSYC106, or with the approval of the Head of School, a pass in a professional year of Engineering, or in approved courses in Computer Science, Linguistics, or Philosophy

Sensation and Perception

A broad overview of sensation and perception. The goal is to develop both an understanding of the field and an interest in pursuing some aspects of it in the future. The emphasis will be on visual perception but perception in other senses will also be covered briefly. There is a laboratory component that will let you experience some of the classic phenomena in the discipline for yourself.

15 points

PSYC105 and PSYC106, or with the approval of the Head of School, a pass in a professional year of Engineering, or in approved courses in Art, Art History, or Computer Science

AI & I: Artificial Intelligence and the Good Life

Do you curate your algorithms - or do your algorithms curate you? As we all know, AI and other digital technologies are reshaping the way we go about our daily lives - they influence what news we see, the music we play and shows we stream, who we date, how we form and maintain friendships, and even how we learn. It can be daunting to know which of these increasingly pervasive technologies are good for us. How should we take advantage of the many opportunities that AI offers, while still doing everything we need to do to flourish as human beings? That’s our central question. As we wrestle with it, you will develop a toolbox of ethical insights and practical skills for mapping a wise path through the challenges AI presents.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, or COSC; or any 60 points at 100 level from the BA or BSc.

Cognitive Science and AI

This course is an introduction to two vibrant and interrelated subfields of philosophy: the philosophy of cognitive science and the philosophy of artificial intelligence. Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of the mind. Its constituent disciplines include psychology, neuroscience, computer science, AI, and philosophy. The philosophy of cognitive science concerns philosophical issues that arise out of the scientific study of the mind. Artificial intelligence is the simulation of certain processes, typically associated with human minds, by machines - especially computer systems. It is an important branch of cognitive science. The philosophy of artificial intelligence concerns itself with those philosophical issues that arise out of reflection upon the possibility of artificial intelligence. Key questions raised in the course include: What is the nature of mind? Are mental processes computational processes? Could a machine have a mind? If a machine were intelligent and conscious, would it have moral significance?

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

PHIL238 (before 2016)

Turing: From the Computer Revolution to the Philosophy of AI

This course is about Alan Turing, the logical and philosophical foundations of computing, and the philosophy of Artificial Intelligence. It is equally suitable for Arts, Science, Engineering, and Law students.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, COSC, LING, MATH (except MATH110), or PSYC, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

PHIL250, PHIL250, PHIL340

Big Data Computing and Systems

The course introduces distributed computational techniques, distributed algorithms and systems/programming support for large-scale processing of data.

15 points

COSC262

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a new and rapidly developing field that affects social media, military actions, the way we are governed, our criminal justice and health systems, and many other areas that impact our lives. In each of these areas, the use of AI can and will create situations that harm or benefit people and also non-human animals. Understanding the nature of these potential harms and benefits, their value and disvalue, and what can enhance, mitigate or remove them, can help make the widespread adoption of AI technologies ethical and also more publicly acceptable.

15 points

Any 30 points at 200 level in PHIL or COSC, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

PHIL425