Humane Technology and AI

Catalog description

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the way professionals in the social sciences and health and human services understand and respond to complex human needs. Students will trace the historical arc of AI to understand how past innovations inform today’s tools, while critically examining how practitioners are leveraging AI to improve client outcomes, inform policy, and address systemic challenges. A central focus of the course is developing a practical framework for assessing generative and non-generative AI systems, weighing their accuracy, potential for bias, and real-world utility in these high-stakes professional contexts. Whether pursuing careers in education, clinical environments, or in the nonprofit sector, students will leave with transferable skills and conceptual tools applicable across the full spectrum of human services settings. The course culminates in a group project in which student teams collaborate with a local organization to design and justify an AI-enhanced solution to a genuine community challenge.