View Specification DocumentThe Ethics of Artificial Intelligence POLITIC4196
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Social and Political Sciences
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
- Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
This course explores the ethical and political challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI). It examines how AI is already shaping our social, economic and political lives, and is likely to do so into the future. Its asks what morality, justice, and legitimacy demand in such an age of intelligent machines, addressing issues such as bias and fairness, manipulation and autonomy, privacy and surveillance, democracy and social media, and the existing ownership and governance structures for AI. It also considers broader questions such as the impact of AI on the labour market, global inequality, the environment and the existential risks of superintelligence. By the end of this course, students will be equipped with the conceptual tools to analyse the ethical implications of AI systems and to develop reasoned arguments about their regulation and design. No prior technical knowledge is required.
Timetable
Seminar: two hours per week for 10 weeks
Requirements of Entry
Entry to Honours Politics or International Relations requires a grade point average of 12 (Grade C) over Politics 2A and Politics 2B as a first attempt.
Excluded Courses
none
Co-requisites
none
Assessment
1. An Essay (2000 words) 50 %
2. A Policy paper (2000 words) 50 %
Course Aims
The course aims to develop students' ability to analyse and evaluate the ethical and political dimensions of artificial intelligence using tools from contemporary analytic philosophy. Students will be able to critique the morality, justice and legitimacy of current and possible future uses of AI and will be empowered to develop reasoned arguments about the moral principles and policies that should govern their design.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Explain key concepts in the ethics of AI, including responsibility, autonomy, fairness, privacy, and legitimacy.
2. Analyse real-world algorithmic systems using ethical frameworks concerning agency, manipulation, discrimination, and power.
3. Critically assess how algorithms shape social, political, and economic structures, including labour markets, democratic processes, and global power asymmetries.
4. Identify and diagnose ethical risks in algorithmic design and deployment, such as bias, opacity, and surveillance.
5. Formulate and defend well-reasoned arguments regarding appropriate governance, regulation, or ownership of AI systems.
6. Reflect on emerging and long-term issues, including AI warfare, existential risk, and the ethics of superintelligence, using rigorous philosophical analysis.