Overview

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Artificial intelligence has the potential to reshape many aspects of society, including what it means to work, create, learn, and connect. This course prepares learners to critically analyze the ethical and societal implications of these changes, anticipate possible futures, and make thoughtful decisions about the development, use, and governance of AI systems. Topics include labor and automation, including historical perspectives on how technology reshapes industries and what AI might mean for the future of work; how AI could transform learning and education, and what risks those transformations might pose; the impact of AI on human creativity and notions of authorship; and companionship and social connection in the context of AI systems such as chatbots. Learners will also engage with speculative and practical approaches to AI ethics, exploring possible future trajectories, identifying risks and tradeoffs, and considering how human choices shape the paths we take. This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Masters of Science in Computer Science (MS-CS) and the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MS-AI) degrees offered on the Coursera platform. This fully accredited graduate degree offer targeted courses, short 8-week sessions, and pay-as-you-go tuition. Admission is based on performance in three preliminary courses, not academic history. CU degrees on Coursera are ideal for recent graduates or working professionals. Learn more: MS in Computer Science: https://coursera.org/degrees/ms-computer-science-boulder MS in Artificial Intelligence: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/ms-artificial-intelligence-boulder

Syllabus

Introduction + Work and Automation
- This module explores how technological change has reshaped work over time, and how current conversations about AI fit into that longer history. We’ll examine ethical questions related to automation, surveillance, productivity, and worker autonomy, while also considering how workplace outcomes are shaped by human choices and incentives rather than technology alone.
Learning and Education
- AI has changed how people learn, teach, and evaluate knowledge. In this module we’ll examine different forms of AI use in education, the ethical implications of institutional responses to AI, and what these technologies might mean for the future of learning. You will be be encouraged to reflect on your own use of AI and what kinds of learning experiences you value.
Art and Human Creativity
- This module explores how AI is reshaping creativity, authorship, and creative labor. We’ll examine different conceptions of creativity, ethical debates around generative AI, and questions about ownership, artistic identity, and human-AI collaboration. This module considers not only how AI can contribute to creativity, but what kinds of creative futures we want to encourage.
Companionship and Social Lives
- Humans often treat technologies as social actors, and AI systems in particular are often designed to encourage emotional and social interaction. In this module, we’ll explore both the potential benefits and ethical risks of social AI, including questions related to loneliness, manipulation, dependency, and design choices. Throughout, we’ll consider how different technological and business decisions shape the kinds of relationships people develop with AI systems.
Ethical Speculation
- This module focuses on how we both anticipate and shape possible futures with AI. Alongside speculative approaches to thinking about unintended consequences and societal impacts, we’ll also explore practical AI ethics tools and methods used to identify, assess, and mitigate risks in real-world contexts. Rather than treating the future as inevitable, this module emphasizes the role of human choices, institutional incentives, and collective action in shaping the future.