2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

IDEA3000 Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

10 creditsClass Size: 50

Module manager: Andrew Kirton
Email: A.Kirton@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

We are living through a technological revolution. Artificial Intelligence systems are poised to take on decision-making roles and perform tasks currently requiring human beings in an increasing range of domains. This shift has been fuelled through the groundwork of massive amounts of data from the internet being collected, processed and used to train AI systems. This module provides students with the analytical and theoretical tools to engage with the ethical questions that this revolution raises.

Objectives

The aims of the module are:
1. To introduce students to the ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence, and the concepts that underpin those issues.
2. To develop critical awareness of the roles artificial intelligence systems may play in society, including the associated benefits and risks for specific users and society itself.
3. To develop the ability to critically evaluate ethical arguments for and against whether artificial intelligence ought to be deployed, through considering the associated implications for a variety of stakeholders.
The objectives will be fulfilled through:
1) Interactive lectures and seminars where students are introduced to core concepts, texts, and arguments, and encouraged to critically reflect on and develop their own arguments about them.
2) Seminar preparation where students read texts critically and analyse the arguments.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Identify and explain the key conceptual and ethical issues surrounding the use of artificial intelligence.
2. Critically evaluate the different approaches that can be taken to those concepts and issues.
3. Develop your own position on those issues through thoughtful, and rationally persuasive arguments.

Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Communicate ideas and understanding clearly and concisely, using appropriate academic language (Academic and Work Ready skill)
5. Critically analyse source material and demonstrate independence of thought (Academic and Work Ready skill)
6. Search for appropriate material to support knowledge and analysis of topics (Academic, Work Ready, Digital and Sustainability skill)
7. Identify ethical questions and use ethical frameworks (Sustainability skill)
8. Conform to standards of academic integrity including when and how to appropriately acknowledge someone else’s work (Academic and Work Ready skill)

Syllabus

Topics may include:
- Introduction to ethics and methods of argumentation
- The ethics of privacy and data:
- Biases and Block boxes
- When is AI permissible to deploy
- Externalities of AI

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	5	1.00	5.00
Private study hours			84.00
Total Contact hours			16.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

In this module, students are given two options for practice presentations: presenting an exposition of a philosophical argument / position or an objection to an argument / position, and a reply.
By giving students a choice, this formative assessment takes account of variations in prior knowledge and skill development, and it enables the instructor to respond to students’ individual needs. It also builds students’ academic self-conception and encourages them to take ownership over their intellectual development.
To do this, and to ensure that students get the formative feedback they need, each student is required to select an option after writing a critical reflection on the skills that they judge they most need to work on. They are asked to read and reflect on (i) the feedback they received in previous summative assessments, (ii) the PRHS marking criteria for their upcoming summative assessment, and (iii) the specific guidance provided on the summative assessment in this module. They are then required to submit their chosen formative work accompanied by a 100–300-word reflective log explaining the choice they have made. This exercise builds critical reflection into the module. It requires that students engage with previous feedback, think about current expectations, and take an active role in honing their knowledge and skill development.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Presentation	Individual presentation (15 mins - recorded)	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

The resit will be a presentation on a different topic.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 23/02/2024

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