LIB584
A.I. vs the Biggest Questions of Philosophy
What does it mean to be human? Philosophy has asked that question for thousands of years, and yet it now has an intense new urgency, thanks to artificial intelligence. The arrival on our planet of this new intelligent species opens up some of the deepest questions asked by philosophers. When A.I. forces us to confront those questions, many people become anxious and confused. We’ll explore these philosophical questions thoughtfully to help us understand who we want to be in a world where machines can think.
This course is offered online. There is no class November 23.
A $50 discount is available during check-out for adults 55+.
Overview
Location: Online
Format: Self-paced with weekly virtual class
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180 plus GST
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Mon, Nov 2, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Mon, Nov 9, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Mon, Nov 16, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Mon, Nov 30, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Mon, Dec 7, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Mon, Dec 14, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
Course outline
- Week 1: The central question
Who do you want to be in a world where machines can think? We explore how this becomes your North Star for navigating the uncertainty surrounding A.I. We introduce the biggest issues that A.I. raises about employment, creativity and privacy. - Week 2: Communication
We look at how A.I. is affecting the ways we communicate with and understand each other, and how people are addressing the ethical challenges it raises. We assess the real and potential impact of embodied A.I. (robots). - Week 3: Intelligence
What are the traits we have come to think of as defining human beings? We explore how A.I. does and doesn’t express these, starting with intelligence. What are the types of intelligence, how do we measure it, how does A.I. score and how is it doing that? What is general and super intelligence for A.I., and when will we have them? - Week 4: Creativity
How do we recognize creativity, and what can A.I. do in art, music or literature? How do creative people deal with what A.I. can do and what are the future opportunities? - Week 5: Consciousness and sentience
How do we know when something can experience or feel? We look at the history of A.I. expressing those qualities in fiction and consider what experts say about it today. We also look at the intersection of A.I. and religion and explore what rights future A.I. might be granted. - Week 6: The future
We explore the near and further futures of how A.I. could change human communication and even who we are as a species (transhumanism). We come back to the central question and craft personal statements declaring what we stand for in the A.I. future.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Reflect on the biggest philosophical issues of A.I.
- Recognize where A.I. is and is not a threat to today’s way of life, including employment
- Appreciate the role of creatives in a world where A.I. can also create
- Identify misinformation and sensationalism that creates false anxiety around A.I.
- Know what you stand for in the A.I. future
How you will learn
- Participation in a weekly Zoom meeting seminar
- Reading academic and non-academic articles and other resources in Canvas
- Participation in live and written discussions with the instructor and other students
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course resources online.
Technical Requirements
For online courses, you will need a computer with audio and microphone that is connected to the internet. Canvas is the online system that will be used for the course. For more information and online support, visit Online Learning.