DC 1st Year Seminar: Surviving & Thriving in the Information Age

Catalog description

The average person today has access to a vast amount of information, far and away exceeding what was available to previous generations. However, this information flow is increasingly shaped by algorithms and artificial intelligence, influencing how we perceive and interpret it. This Grand Challenge course will examine the complexities of living in a world of information overload, especially when much of it is algorithmically delivered. Integrating the perspectives of computer science, cognitive science, neuroscience and philosophy, we will explore the nature of information, its structure, and the connection between information and meaning. We will then shift to studying the process of learning, focusing on its core principles and how human learning interacts with the information we encounter to shape our knowledge and understanding. We will also delve into how this capacity can become biased, making us overly sensitive to certain information while ignoring or overlooking other types. In this course, we will analyze these biases and their impact on our behavior, both positively and negatively. We will also explore how algorithms filter information for us (e.g., social media) or even create it (e.g., ChatGPT) and the effects of this filtering on knowledge and comprehension. The class will be hands-on with technology, experimenting with different AI tools to enhance the learning experience, while also developing the skills to collaborate with peers in productive discussions around these complex issues.