**This class is a Hybrid. This section of the class will be taught on Zoom**
This course will take a broad view of Artificial Intelligence (AI) from its history in myth and media, to its actual implementation and to the social and ethical issues it brings to the present and future. Particular focus is paid to the current discussion surrounding the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) and associated chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini and others.
Week by Week Outline
● Week 1
o What is a “working definition” of Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Does it really satisfy adopted definitions of intelligence?
o How has AI been portrayed in popular culture? – from 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Terminator, Bladerunner, The Matrix and many more-
▪ What did these depictions of the technology get right? What did they get wrong? ▪ How has popular culture affected the perception and reception of AI technologies by the general public?
o What are examples of AI already prevalent in everyday life (both visible and invisible)? ● Week 2
o The growth of Artificial Intelligence as a mainstream discipline – are machines actually capable of independent thought? Can machines truly be creative? What trust and security concerns might their adoption bring to users?
▪ What are the fundamental concepts of AI, Neural Networks and Machine Learning (ML)?
▪ How do AI systems learn and what do they learn from?
o What are the associated technologies, research and applications that have driven the evolution and growth of AI?
o What are the current research, technical, legal and ethical challenges facing AI growth? ● Week 3
o Who are the major players in the AI industry – OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, etc.? o What is behind the “chatbot explosion” – ChapGPT, Gemini, Llama and their peers? o Why are venture capitalists (VCs) rushing to fund “The Intelligence Age?”
● Week 4
o What are the philosophical and moral issues facing “An AI Society”
o What is the impact of AI tools on the future of education and learning
o What are the implications of AI in the workplace and the business and financial communities?
o Is regulation of AI possible? If so, who would be the regulators and how would regulations be enforced?
● Week 5
o What is Artificial Generalized Intelligence (AGI) and how is it different? Is AGI possible, if so, when, and what will be its impact?
o What is “The Singularity” – are AI and ML an unstoppable part of the predicted path for human evolution? What are augmented systems?
● Week 6
o Who and what will drive the future of AI?
o What resources are required for AI growth and implementation? How will these resource requirements impact environmental issues?
o Is the “AI race” real as nations strive for supremacy in the field? Do AI technologies represent a global threat or an opportunity?
o What are the U.S. government goals and policies re: AI?