Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to philosophical issues in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The goal is for students to be able to gain a basic understanding of the cognitive architectures used by Al programmers and reflect critically on research in AI from a philosophical perspective. We will look at challenges to the idea that AI is “real” intelligence, ask whether AI can be creative, and discuss whether AI can be conscious. We will also look at the ethical dimensions of AI. Can AI systems be moral agents with rights and responsibilities? What are the ethical implications of AI-powered applications like directed marketing, facial recognition, and criminal-sentencing evaluation? Will AI usher in a technological utopia, or a dystopian nightmare?