Universität Wien

180249 SE Ethics of Emerging Technologies (2023S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Saturday 04.03. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Saturday 18.03. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock
  • Saturday 22.04. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock
  • Saturday 06.05. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock
  • Saturday 20.05. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock
  • Saturday 10.06. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Emerging technologies like AI, the Internet of Things, and Blockchain Technology, have an increasingly transformative impact on people and society. In this course, students will be introduced to the different ways to theorise emerging technology, reflect on its ethical impacts, and use practical tools to integrate ethical reflection in day-to-day projects.

The course consists of three parts. The first part covers the basics: presenting major ethical issues with emerging technologies from a historical perspective, explaining the link between ethical theories and technology, and presenting different ways to think about technological mediation. The second part focuses on ethics of particular types of emerging technologies: of artificial intelligence (e.g., deep learning), artificial life (e.g., genetic modification) and existential machines (e.g., the atomic bomb). The third part contextualises the ethics of emerging technologies in a discussion of three global challenges: global citizenship and human rights, climate change, and violence.

The course uses methods of philosophical reflection, argumentation, empirical and historical research, and applied ethics.

Assessment and permitted materials

• 20% of the grade will consist of in-class exercises
• 40% of the grade will consist of two written assignments based on the lectures and the readings.
• 40% of the grade will be based on a final writing assignment. This assignment consists of writing a ‘long-read’ journalistic article, as can be found in The New York Times or the Guardian, which discusses a particular issue related to ethics of emerging technologies. You will get the full grade here if you:
o Come up with an original and clear argument to defend.
o Structure the essay in the proper way (with an abstract, introduction, core, and conclusion).
o Use the readings in a convincing way to illustrate or strengthen your argument.
o Find 2-4 additional readings that illuminate parts of your argument.
o Apply proper referencing, with in-line citations and a correctly formatted bibliography.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

• You will need to attend at least 4 out of the 6 sessions.
• You will need to hand in the two written assignments.
• You will need to hand in final writing assignment.

Examination topics

• History of technology ethics
• Theories of normative ethics
• Technology and values
• Theories of technological mediation
• Technology and the human condition
• Responsible innovation
• Engineering ethics
• Ethics of artificial intelligence
• Ethics of artificial life
• Citizenship and emerging technology
• Sustainability and emerging technology
• Violence and emerging technology

Reading list

Vallor, Shannon. 2010. “Social Networking Technology and the Virtues.” Ethics and Information Technology 12(2):157–70.
Rehg, W. 2015. “Discourse Ethics for Computer Ethics: A Heuristic for Engaged Dialogical Reflection.” Ethics and Information Technology 17(1):27–39.
Bostrom, Nick. 2013. “Existential Risk Prevention as Global Priority.” Global Policy 4(1):15–31.
Winner, Langdon. 1980. “Do Artifacts Have Politics?” Daedalus 109(1):121–36.
Latour, Bruno. 1994. “On Technical Mediation - Philosophy, Sociology, Genealogy.” Common Knowledge 3(2):29–64.
Fourcade, Marion and Berkeley Jeffrey Gordon. 2020. “Learning Like a State: Statecraft in the Digital Age.” Journal of Law and Political Economy 1(1):78-.
Pasquale, Frank. 2018. “Digital Capitalism: How to Tame the Platform Juggernauts.” Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung - Division for Economic and Social Policy 1–4.
Nissenbaum, Helen. 2004. “Privacy as Contextual Integrity.” Washington Law Review 101–39.
Ananny, Mike and Kate Crawford. 2018. “Seeing without Knowing: Limitations of the Transparency Ideal and Its Application to Algorithmic Accountability.” New Media and Society 20(3):973–89.
Taylor, Linnet. 2017. “What Is Data Justice? The Case for Connecting Digital Rights and Freedoms Globally.” Big Data & Society (December):1–14.
Friedman, Batya and P. Kahn. 2002. “Value Sensitive Design: Theory and Methods.” University of Washington Technical (December):1–8.
Blok, V., L. Hoffmans, and E. F. M. Wubben. 2015. “Stakeholder Engagement for Responsible Innovation in the Private Sector: Critical Issues and Management Practices.” Journal on Chain and Network Science 15(2):147–64.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Th 27.04.2023 13:27