OCOM5202M Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

The workplace (and home) is (are) going through a technological revolution. New automated algorithms can make medical assessments or deliver financial advice, for example, faster and more accurately than human professionals. Customers are given financial advice by chatbots and other AI systems. Medical data is collected by fitbits and AI can deliver medical judgements, meaning that they have no need to interact with another human at all. And more information about customers and potential customers is collected, collated and analysed every day, allowing for targeted marketing and accurate risk analysis. Ostensibly, these technologies are being introduced in order to make commerce, business and medicine more efficient, more accurate, and more objective. Nonetheless, with new technologies come new problems, and the rapidity with which these technologies are being applied often mean these problems go unnoticed until serious ethical and legal issues emerge. This module provides students with the analytical and theoretical tools to engage with these issues in a professional context. The module is taught online alongside modules in maths and computing in which these issues are live. There are eight online units. The online units will comprise of online learning materials such as videos and online documents, some related reading, and a facilitated online discussion forum per topic. There will be group work and group presentations which focus on discussion of concrete case studies in AI.

Course Description

Syllabus

The module will cover a range of the key ethical issues relevant to the introduction of AI and big data, including, for example:

Introduction to machine ethics

Big data: consent and privacy

Big data: surveillance and responsibility

AI and automation: machine learning and bias

AI and automation: professionalism and responsibility

AI and automation: assessing vulnerability, best interests and the public interest

The ethics of interpersonal and social trust

 

Learning outcomes
Students will be able to identify and comprehend ethical issues in a professional context

Students will be familiar with several key areas of ethical concern in the intersection of technology and the workplace

Students will be able to analyse applied ethical arguments to masters level

Students will be able to make and defend applied ethical arguments to masters level

Students will be able to communicate applied ethical analysis and argument through written and verbal presentation to masters level