PHIL 143.001 – AI and the Future of Humanity: Philosophical Issues about Technology and Human Survival

IDEAs in Action: Which curricular requirements does this course satisfy?

Instructor: Katie Deaven. This course meets MWF 8:00 – 8:50 a.m. in GL 222.

Technology is reshaping our experiences in ways that, until recently, seemed ​like something out of science fiction: we now live in a world with generative AI assistants, self-driving cars, biometric authenticators, deepfakes, and DNA tests. How should we evaluate the impact these technologies have had and will have on our lives? Opinions often lie at one extreme or the other: optimists tell us that technology is synonymous with progress and the key to living better lives, while pessimists warn of an inevitable dystopian future heralded by today’s emerging technologies.

In this course, we will apply methods of philosophical inquiry to carefully think through some of the moral questions raised by new technologies and provide a more nuanced evaluation of its impact on human activity. We’ll critically examine how technology transforms our social interactions and relationships with others, influences the information we’re exposed to (and, consequently, the beliefs each of us holds), and absorbs decision-making processes. We’ll then turn to its broader societal impact, focusing on how we conceive of labor and leisure, the relationship between citizens and the state, the line between public and private, and what’s permissible in wartime, given these technological advances. Finally, we’ll explore speculative questions about the capabilities of AI and robots to engage in moral reasoning and whether they should be held morally responsible for what they do.