Midterm 2

Midterm 2 is due by Weds Oct 29 at 11:59 pm.  Late submissions are allowed but will be assessed a penalty as described in Late Work on syllabus.

 The exam is based on our text Weapons of Math Destruction. You may consult this and other resources, but please do not discuss the exam with other human beings with the exception of the UMD Writer's Workshop. Your answers must be expressed in your own words so please continue to follow our policy on not using AI writing tools in any way (as described in our syllabus and reproduced below).

Your answers should be expressed as Personal Essays. Please note there has been a change to our essay guidelines where each essay (exam answer) must start with your notes and outline, and you should finish those before you start writing your essay. Please see our guidelines for more details. Otherwise, you should prepare your essays as we have been doing - compose your responses entirely in a single Google Doc and then submit a single URL when the exam is finished. Make sure that you have your Google Doc set so that anyone with the link is an editor. Your version history must show the complete evolution of all your responses from your notes and outline to the final version,  so please do not start your responses somewhere else and then cut and paste them. Please follow all of our guidelines for Personal Essays including the 500 word minimum. 

If you have questions about the exam, please post those to this thread on the discussion list on Canvas so that  everyone gets the same information about the exam. Please allow up to 12 hours for a response to questions.

There are four exam questions. Please make sure to number your responses in your Google Doc. You do not need to copy the question into your response although you can if you find that helpful. Do not of course include the questions in your word count. Be assured  that all of your writing in this class is always kept private and confidential and I do not share it in any form with anyone or any online resource.

Start of Midterm 2 Questions

Please note that Questions 2, 3, and 4 ask you to discuss different WMDs from Cathy O'Neil's book. You may only use a particular WMD once on this exam, so please review the constraints on the WMDs you may use before starting any of these questions. Then do a little planning on which WMDs you will discuss in each of these questions before working on any of them. This will help you avoid "collisions" where you realize you would prefer a WMD in a different question but you already included it it another. 

1. [5 points] Listen to an episode of Practical AI entitled "AI hot takes and debates : Autonomy?" This is 45 minutes long and available for streaming here : https://practicalai.fm/318 Please take notes in your Google Doc for this exam as you listen. This is a debate between the hosts of this podcast on the topic of autonomous systems. Explain the different sides in this debate, and then discuss the two strongest arguments made on each side. Which side of the debate do you favor and why? The debate includes discussion of drones being used in the war in Ukraine. Please describe the details of these drones, and then discuss whether these are WMDs. Why or why not? Finally, do you believe the use of drones in the war in Ukraine (as described in this podcast) is ethical? Why or why not? Please use at least one of our philosophical foundations to support your argument. Before writing your essay, start with your notes from the podcast, and then create an outline by decomposing the prompt and filling in the points you will make to address each aspect of the prompt. You should complete your notes and outline before you start writing your essay. Your submission should start with your notes and outline and then be followed by your essay (do not overwrite your notes and outline).

2. [5 points] Of all the WMDs discussed in Cathy O'Neil's book, which is to you the personally most distasteful or objectionable? Why is that? Briefly describe the WMD in your own words and make sure to mention the chapter from which it comes. This WMD should not be one you discuss in Question 3 or 4. Most of your essay should be devoted to your personal perspective so please focus on specific details and experiences from your life that will make it clear why you have this reaction to this WMD. Please remember that not every algorithm or system mentioned in Cathy O'Neil's book is a WMD (so make sure to choose something that is described by our author as a WMD). Please only discuss one WMD in this question (and it must come from Cathy O'Neil's book). Before writing your essay, start with notes on the details of the WMD you will discuss and the experiences from your life that you plan to include, and then create an outline by decomposing the prompt and filling in the points you will make to address each aspect of the prompt. You should complete your notes and outline before you start writing your essay. Your submission should start with your notes and outline and then be followed by your essay (do not overwrite your notes and outline).

3. [5 points] Cathy O'Neil suggests in the Conclusion of her book that we should develop models for the "common good". Explain what this means, and incorporate at least one of our philosophical foundations as a part of your explanation. Then, identify three WMDs from her book that could be redesigned to put a priority on the common good. In particular, these should be WMDs that would not only advance the common good but would also further your own individual good and be helpful to you. Each WMD should come from a different chapter of her book and must not include the ones you discuss in Question 2 or 4. Make sure to mention the chapters they come from.  Briefly explain each WMD in your own words and how it could be redesigned to emphasize the common good. What would need to change, and what would it do as a result? How would this help the common good? How would this help you? Make sure to mention the chapter each comes from. Also remember that not every algorithm or system mentioned in Cathy O'Neil's book is a WMD (so make sure to choose examples that are described by our author as a WMD). All the WMDs you discuss should come from Cathy O'Neil's book. Before writing your essay, start with notes on the details of the WMDs you will discuss, and then create an outline by decomposing the prompt and filling in the points you will make to address each aspect of the prompt. You should complete your notes and outline before you start writing your essay. Your submission should start with your notes and outline and then be followed by your essay (do not overwrite your notes and outline).

4. [5 points] Please read through the ACM Code of Ethics. Pick a WMD from Cathy O'Neil's book and evaluate it in terms of compliance with the principles of this code. This WMD should not be one you discuss in Question 2 or 3. Describe in your own words what this WMD does and why it is a WMD. Make sure to mention the chapter it comes from. Then discuss five principles from the ACM Code that your selected WMD violates. Make sure to explain each principle in your own words, provide the number it is referred to by, and explain how it is violated by your selected WMD. Describe specific actions that could have been taken in developing or deploying this WMD that would have upheld and honored each principle. Could these actions have prevented it from becoming a WMD? Why or why not? Please remember that not every algorithm or system mentioned in Cathy O'Neil's book is a WMD (so make sure to choose an example that is described by our author as a WMD). Please only discuss one WMD in this question (and it must be from Cathy O'Neil's book). Before writing your essay, start with notes on the details of the WMD you will discuss and the points from the ACM Code of Ethics that you will use in their essay, and then create an outline by decomposing the prompt and filling in the points you will make to address each aspect of the prompt. You should complete your notes and outline before you start writing your essay. Your submission should start with your notes and outline and then be followed by your essay (do not overwrite your notes and outline).

End of Midterm 2 Questions

Please follow our policy on Use of AI Writing Tools (from our syllabus)

Please do not use automated writing tools like Gemini, CoPilot, ChatGPT, Grammarly, Claude, Jasper, DeepSeek, etc. at any point in developing work for this class. This includes our Personal Essays, any take home Exams, and your Podcast. Do not use them for brainstorming ideas, do not use them for outlining, do not use them for writing, and do not use them for polishing or correcting your work. 

All of your written work should be composed entirely in Google Docs. You may use the spelling and grammar checking tools provided in the standard version of Google Docs but do not use or add-on anything beyond that for any of our assignments.  

Why such a strict policy? I read all of your essays and exams. I listen to your podcasts. I do not offload the grading of your work on to a teaching assistant or an automated AI tool. I read what you submit carefully, and I would like to hear your own unique voice come through in the work you do for this class. I genuinely enjoy this experience. These tools obscure your voice and restrict your imagination. They make you sound more generic and less like the unique individual that you are. 

Any work that you submit in this class must be uniquely and exclusively written by you. This means no AI Writing Tools, it also means no cutting and pasting or overly close paraphrasing from other sources (which is essentially what these AI tools do, just in a very fancy and elaborate way). If you submit work that you did not uniquely and exclusively create, you may receive a 0 on that assignment.  

Finally, I do not use AI in any aspect of this class. I do not use it to prepare for class, to create lecture content or discussion questions, nor do I use it for any part of grading.