Science: Technology & Environment , Politics: The World & The Future

AI: Bias, Trust, and Doing Good

Joanna Bryson

AI is one of the new frontiers defining the 21st century. We know it's game-changing. But what we don't know is if those changes will make our dreams or nightmares come true?

About the Course

AI is one of the new frontiers defining the 21st century. From manufacturing robots to self-driving cars, and smart assistants to automated financial investing, artificial intelligence has undoubtedly revolutionised the way we live our lives. We know it's game-changing. But what we don't know is if those changes will make our dreams or nightmares come true?

Join Hertie School professor Joanna Bryson as she untangles the ethical web of AI and lays out how to ensure it is a force for good. Professor Bryson will take you on a fascinating journey through the history of AI, its ethical implications, its role in politics, and how it can be effectively and proactively regulated.

By the end of the course, you will have learnt:

What AI actually is.
The moral hazards associated with it.
How AI has transformed our political landscape.
How AI has reshaped our theory of ethics.
Why AI does not have to be opaque.
How to effectively regulate AI.

IAI Academy courses are designed to be challenging but accessible to the interested student. No specialist knowledge is required.

Course Syllabus

Part One : How AI Alters Our Political Future

Trust, bias and polarisation. These ideas are central to our ethical and political landscape. But what does a scientific understanding of them look like?

Part Two : Beyond Opacity - Regulating AI

If AI is too complicated to be regulated, it might leave governments scrambling to regain control. Bryson presents a vision of how to overcome the barriers of AI transparency.

About the Instructor

Joanna Bryson

Joanna Bryson is a professor at Hertie School in Berlin specialising in artificial intelligence, ethics and collabritive cognition. Her research focusses on the impact of technology on human cooperation and AI governance. Her work appears in a number of venues from online forums such as Reddit to academic journals and publications.

Currently, she advises NGOs, governments and transnational agnecies. Her work includes 'Is There an AI Cold War?' and 'Robots Should Be Slaves'. She has delivered numerous talks and lectures that are available to watch online.

Suggested Further Readings

Bryson, J. J., The Artificial Intelligence of the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: An Introductory Overview for Law and Regulation, (In: Minds and Machines, 2018).
Bryson, J. J., Robots Should Be Slaves, (In: Close Engagements with Artificial Companions, 2010).
Bostrom, N., Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014).
Russell, S., & Norvig, P., Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, (Harlow: Pearson, 2021).
O’Neil, C., Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy, (New York: Crown, 2016).
Floridi, L., The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019).
Crawford, K., Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2021).

Meet your instructor