Syllabus

MAS.630 Affective Computing and Ethics (Fall 2023)

Class Schedule (Subject to Change):

Wed Sep 6 Overview of the topic of Affective Computing & Ethics; Course mechanics and expectations

Tues Sep 12 1pm: HWK1 due
includes getting CITI certified to do human subjects experiments if you aren't yet certified

Wed Sep 13 What makes a great class project? Examples of AC research projects in the past. Human study design examples and tips. [If possible, students may be encouraged to listen to a session of ACII 2023, happening in the Media Lab Sep 10-13]

Tues Sep 19 1pm: HWK2 dueincludes your project ideas and showing that you've met with three groups from the class, and supported others in the class with project idea development

Wed Sep 20 Students present half-baked project ideas; Class discussion & forming project teams

Tues Sep 26 1pm: HWK3 due includes your team's final project proposal -- including a study or plan to test it, and at least 3 related references per team memberrecommended: book at least one meeting with Roz and/or TA

Wed Sep 27 Introduction to Emotion Recognition in Context

Tues Oct 3 1pm: HWK4 due includes draft of your COUHES application due (on Canvas to Staff) includes slides to present in class Oct 4and booking a meeting this week to discuss project w/Roz and/or TA

Wed Oct 4 TEAMS PRESENT Final Project, Related Work Search, and Initial Study Design for class discussion

Tues Oct 10 1pm: HWK5 due Submit to Roz your COUHES application to get department and PI sign off (due 1 week before COUHES deadline).COUHES has a hard deadline on Oct 17 for consideration at their meeting Nov 16. If you want an answer from them before Nov 16, then GET IT IN BEFORE the Oct 17 onslaught and request early approval.

Wed Oct 11 Part1: Guest: Kimy Lecamwasam on Successful COUHES-satisfying class project experience; Part2: Picard on Emotion Recognition in Context

Tues Oct 17 1pm: HWK6 due

Wed Oct 18 Sentiment analysis, LLM's, affect manipulation and social media with ethical considerations. Guest: Belén Saldias Fuentes

Tues Oct 24 1pm: NO HWK

Wed Oct 25 NO CLASS - Media Lab Members Meeting

Tues Oct 31 1pm: HWK7 due

Wed Nov 1 Emotion Regulation/Designing Emotionally Communicative Objects with Jocelyn Scheirer; and Emotional and Social Intelligence in LLMs with Don Lee

Tues Nov 7 1pm: HWK8 due

Wed Nov 8 Real-world Regulation of Affective Computing - Staying within the changing Laws (and staying out of Jail and trouble).

Guests: Andrew Sellars from BU Law School and his students
Tues Nov 14 1pm: HWK9 due = Class presentation on the background literature for your project

Wed Nov 15 TEAMS PRESENT Insights from the literature related to project & demo what is built/achieved so far (Progress Presentation)

(COUHES approvals should arrive by Nov 17 if you submitted it on time and addressed all their concerns)

Wed Nov 22 Recognizing emotion-related information from speech and multimodal data (Picard, and Don Lee)

Tues Nov 28: 1pm: HWK10 due = Draft of final project report (background, study design, but no results)

Wed Nov 29 Physiology and behavior that carry emotional information (Picard)

Wed Dec 6 ** Final Project Presentations - Part 1. Attendance required by students, Open to Guests
Wed Dec 13 ** Final Project Presentations - Part 2. Attendance required by students, Open to Guests

*TBD topic possibilities: Measuring affect from physiological data and wearables; affective neuroscience; affect & autism; ethical case studies & solutions, AC & mental health, can computers actually *have* emotion and will this enable AGI? Students are also invited to suggest topics to help advance their course-related project goals.