| CODE | PHI2054 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | The Politics of AI | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| EQF/MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Philosophy | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | We undoubtedly live in a time of rapid technological advancements. With the recent exponential improvements in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as its mass availability and use, this relatively new technology has emerged as a transformative social force which is reshaping the landscape of politics and governance in ways which are difficult to predict or even control. As AI permeates important aspects of our daily real and virtual lives, its political implications become profound and inescapable. In this study-unit, we shall delve into the complex relationship between AI and key political issues in order to explore its impact on issues such as freedom, equality, justice, democracy, power dynamics, and the environment. In order to raise the following questions: how do AI technologies impact the dynamics of power within political systems? How do they contribute to or hinder equality and justice? To what extent does AI enhance or undermine democratic processes? How does the deployment of AI technologies affect views on trans-human progress and post-human views? The aim of this study-unit shall then be to answer such questions in a systematic and philosophical manner, using the ideas of key thinkers in the field of political philosophy and technology. Through this dynamic exploration, students will be provided with a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which AI is shaping our political life more generally, and political philosophy more specifically. Study-Unit Aims: The aims of this study-unit are to: - allow students to explore questions related to the relation between AI and political philosophy. - allow students to understand the foundational principles of AI and its applications in various political domains. - encourage students to investigate the implications of AI on freedom, privacy, and technological enhancement. - urge students to critically assess the ways in which AI can propagate or mitigate inequalities. - question long held assumptions about the division between AI and politics. - allow students to critically evaluate the potential for integrating justice and fairness into AI algorithms. - encourage students to take part in debates concerning the nature and value of AI in the field of politics. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - define and employ key concepts related to AI and political philosophy (nudging, artificial superintelligence, algorithms, data fascism, panopticon, AI bias, data mining). - familiarise themselves with the central concepts shaping contemporary debates on the politics of AI technologies. - investigate the ways in which AI can be applied in political contexts. - critically assess the implications of AI on issues such as individual freedoms, privacy, and civil liberties. - evaluate the potential for AI to contribute to social justice, equality, freedom. - analyse the role of AI in shaping both democratic processes and political decision-making. - critically examine the ethical considerations associated with the use of AI in politics, including issues related to bias, transparency, and accountability. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - combine different philosophical perspectives and theories related to the politics of AI in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic. - identify and reflect on the central concepts in the politics of AI. - analyse and evaluate different philosophical arguments pertaining to the the ways in which AI both hinders and improves political life. - conduct research on different texts, theories, and ideas related to the politics of AI. - articulate complex ideas in both oral and written form (through class discussions and assignments respectively). - reflect critically on the ways in which AI pervades our everyday life. - write critical essays on specific aspects of AI politics. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Coeckelbergh, Mark (2022) The Political Philosophy of AI. Cambridge: Polity Press. - Coeckelbergh, Mark (2020) AI Ethics. Massachusetts: MIT Press. - Bartoletti, Ivana (2020) An Artificial Revolution: On Power, Politics & AI. London: Indigo Press - Tinnirello, Maurizio (ed.) (2022). The Global Politics of Artificial Intelligence. Florida: CRC Press. Supplementary Readings: - Kymlocka, Will (2002). Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Müller, Vincent C. (2024). Philosophy of AI: A structured overview. In Nathalie A. Smuha (ed.), Cambridge handbook on the law, ethics and policy of Artificial Intelligence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1-25. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Keith Pisani Niki Young |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2026/7. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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