Course description
Anyone who wants to understand the times we live in needs a basic understanding of artificial intelligence and the ethical challenges it poses. This is precisely what this course offers. If you are an entrepreneur, work for a company that uses digital technologies, have children who are exposed to digital technologies, or are an engaged citizen, this course will help you navigate the ethical dilemmas which presents the artificial intelligence.
We will begin by exploring what the ethicsand how it is put into practice. We will review the concept of the "banality of evil". Hannah Arendt, with its implications for contemporary ethics, and we will establish a critical connection between ethics and law, arguing why legal regulation is not enough.
Moving into the sphere of artificial intelligencewe will go through its history and explore its unique characteristics that make it the subject of special attention in ethics. We will discuss the risks y opportunities that it presents, delimiting the fundamental principles that should guide their ethical use: beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, autonomy and explicability.
We will talk about privacy and surveillanceWhat is privacy and why does it matter? We will examine the power of data and how surveillance technologies can lead to societies of control, with relevant examples such as their widespread use in China.
One of the major problems with artificial intelligence is the bias and the discrimination. We will explore the possibility of achieving bias-free AI and confront the dilemma of automated versus human decisions. Who should take responsibility for wrong decisions made by AI? Is there a right for certain decisions to be made by humans?
Finally, we will analyse the relationship between the democracy and AI, assessing whether our rights to equality and autonomy are being respected in the digital age. We will try to bring a constructive approach, proposing possible solutions to the ethical challenges generated by the digital age and artificial intelligence.
Course structure
Academic Management
Carissa VélizCarissa Véliz is a professor at the Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence and a fellow of Hertford College at the University of Oxford. She is the recipient of the prestigious Herbert A. Simon 2021 award for outstanding research in computer science and philosophy. His academic work has been published by Nature, Harvard Business Review, and AI & Society, among others. She has published for the Guardian, Wired, and El País. She is the author of the acclaimed book "Privacy is Power: Data, Surveillance and Freedom in the Digital Age" (Debate) and editor of the Oxford Handbook of Digital Ethics.
He advises policy makers around the world on privacy and the ethics of artificial intelligence. In Spain, he has been a member of the expert group that advised the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation on the Charter of Digital Rights; he also advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the country's Digital Strategy.
Academic Coordination
Carlota Taboada
Director of Research Programmes, Virtual Campus and International Training Programmes at the Rafael del Pino Foundation.
Teaching Coordination
- David Mejía
He holds a degree in Philosophy from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and a degree in Literary Theory from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He holds a PhD from Columbia University. Before completing his doctorate, he did a Master's degree at Columbia University thanks to an Excellence Scholarship from the Rafael del Pino Foundation. He is currently an associate professor at IE University, where he teaches Philosophy, Legal Thought and Critical Thinking to undergraduate and Master students. David is also a regular contributor to the general press and radio.
Other details
Includes digital book download "Privacy is Power: Data, Surveillance and Freedom in the Digital Age". by Carissa Véliz.
