Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2025 - CMNS 453 E100

Advanced Topics in Technology and Society (4)

Living with Algorithms:AI,Surveillance&Society

Class Number: 2976

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 4:30–7:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    26 CMNS units with a minimum grade of C- or 60 units with a minimum CGPA of 2.00.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Advanced seminar to discuss issues in the interplay between contemporary society and new computer/communication technologies, including generative AI, big data, digital surveillance, the quantified self, and more. The seminar will offer students the chance to engage with theories of technology and society, as well as public policy that concerns digital technology and AI. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topics are different (up to a maximum of three times).

COURSE DETAILS:

Topic for Fall 2025:  AI, Surveillance & Society

This course explores AI, surveillance, and society. We will explore what AI is and how it is being used for different forms of surveillance. Relatedly, we will explore how AI has developed in the context of policing and state governance. This will help students develop an understanding of what AI is, where it came from, and how it is affecting the society we will live in. It will also explore how the history of AI is entangled with particular visions of society, safety, governance, and statecraft that have come to shape our present moment. We will explore different sites of surveillance – from the Internet to the border, as well as how surveillance is done in the context of different technological and political regimes. Students will also learn about different forms of resistance, obfuscation, activism, frameworks for privacy, and legal challenges that have emerged in response to AI-driven surveillance regimes.  

Grading

  • Participation and Engagement 30%
  • Surveillance in the Archives Project 30%
  • AI and Surveillance Project 30%
  • Conversation with Professor 10%

NOTES:

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relationship to established university-wide practices. In addition, the School will follow Policy S10.01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10.02, S10.03 and S10.04 with regard to Student Discipline. For further information visit: www.sfu.ca/policies/Students/index.html.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Course readings will be made available as PDFs through the course CANVAS site.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.