------ Announcements ------ 

Welcome to Ethics in AI, the first four weeks of classes will be in person in FAB 10. See you then!

Course Information

Instructor: Ameeta Agrawal, PhD, ameeta@pdx.edu

TA: Sina Bagheri Nezhad, sina5@pdx.edu

Lectures: Tue/Thu, 12pm - 1:50pm

Class Location: Please note that this is a 'hybrid' course with some in-person and some online classes.

>> In-person days: FAB 10 (no synchronous Zoom session)

>> Online/remote days: Zoom 

Instructor office hours: Mon 1pm - 2pm on Zoom or by appointment

TA office hours: Wed 2pm - 3pm on Zoom or by appointment

Slack channel: Join our Slack community (#ethicsai_f24) for collaborative learning and communication.

Course Description

Embark on a thought-provoking exploration of the ethical dimensions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this course. As AI technologies continue to reshape our world, it's crucial to understand the moral implications that arise from their use. In this course, you'll delve into the complex ethical challenges AI poses, including bias and fairness, privacy concerns, accountability, and the impact on society. Through engaging discussions and case studies, you'll grapple with real-world ethical dilemmas faced by AI practitioners and organizations. You'll gain a deep understanding of ethical frameworks and principles relevant to AI. You'll also examine AI ethics from a global perspective, considering cultural and societal variations.

Course Prerequisites

• General understanding of AI technologies

Reference Texts. All our readings will be from materials that are freely available online. See our list of weekly readings: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1__DOIP23OTxlS-2yDPWyhUyGUKfKtJ1b8mCa5Z4qEXw/edit?usp=sharing

Access the Discussion Group Presentations Folder and the Project Presentations Folder to view or download the materials made by students during the quarter.

Class Schedule (this will be updated as needed)

Course Policies

Late policy: You are allowed a total of 3 late days over the entire term to use for the assignments (no exceptions for project deliverables), please use them wisely. Each late day gives you an extra 24 hours.

Canvas/Slack: Please check Canvas regularly for updates. All course materials and assignments will be posted on Canvas. Please use Slack for all questions as this can also potentially help other students who may have similar questions.

Honor code: Academic integrity is a vital part of the educational experience at PSU. Please see the PSU Student Code of Conduct for the university’s policy on academic dishonesty. A confirmed violation of that Code in this course may result in failure of the course. Copying or paraphrasing someone’s work (including code) is not allowed and will result in an automatic grade of 0 for the assignment/project in which copying/paraphrasing was done. If you believe you are going to have trouble completing an assignment, please talk to the instructor or TA well in advance of the due date.

Student Services

Disability Access Statement

If you have, or think you may have, a disability that may affect your work in this class and feel you need accommodations, contact the Disability Resource Center to schedule an appointment and initiate a conversation about reasonable accommodations. The DRC is located in 116 Smith Memorial Student Union, 503-725-4150, drc@pdx.edu, https://www.pdx.edu/disability-resource-center/.

Safe Campus Statement

Portland State University desires to create a safe campus for our students. As part of that mission, PSU requires all students to take the learning module entitled Creating a Safe Campus: Preventing Gender Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Assault. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources on PSU’s Enrollment Management & Student Affairs: Sexual Prevention & Response website at http://www.pdx.edu/sexual-assault.