AI and Democracy

Catalog description

The rise of language learning models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence (AI) has drastically changed several facets of society. Government is no exception to this, as these new technologies have already begun to work their way into governmental institutions around the world. This brings us to the questions of this course - how does and how will AI impact democracy as a system of government? Does AI make states more democratic, or does it push them towards authoritarianism? Students can expect to learn about different types of AIs, different types of democratic systems and institutions, and then apply that knowledge to various policy areas. We will examine how AI modifies the calculations for war, what human rights for AIs would look like, and how democracies can wield AIs in both positive and negative fashions. By the end of the semester, students should walk away from this class with an understanding of the importance of AI on democratic systems.