AI, Philosophy, and Society

3 Credits

In the past few years, the capabilities of AI-based systems have grown explosively due to the development of a new technology, large language models. These systems, known informally as “chatbots,” are trained on a significant portion of the text and images that humanity has collectively produced over centuries. As a result, they have developed the ability to perform tasks that we normally associate with human-level intelligence, such as writing essays, writing computer programs, and passing graduate-level exams. In this course, we will explore the philosophical and social implications of this powerful new technology. This course will engage with research from several academic disciplines, including computer science, psychology, philosophy, and economics, as well as the Western canon.