PHIL 1190 Ethics for the Digital Age
Big data and information technology impact all areas of life. Rapid advances in technologies such as AI and machine learning, as well as the evermore sophisticated advances in the collection, analysis, and use of data, have created opportunities for individual and social good. But ethical frameworks for assessing the impacts of these advances lag behind. Does the use of predictive analytics in health care, employment, and policing reinforce or reduce bias and discrimination? Is privacy dead -- and should we care? Are algorithms morally neutral? Should big tech be regulated? Does Facebook cause more harm than good? These are some of the questions we will address as we explore the ethical implications of data and information technology. Through understanding theories and concepts in moral philosophy, we will learn how to reason about and critically assess ethical issues in data and information technology.
Offered
Fall, Spring