CULT 862: Critical AI Studies

This course critically examines artificial intelligence (AI) as a social, cultural, political, technical, and economic phenomenon. Drawing on theories and methodologies from the humanities and social sciences, this course interrogates the historical development of AI, its ideological and political economical underpinnings, and its material, cultural, and ethical consequences. Topics may include things like: surveillance, privacy, and data; fairness, accountability, transparency and ethics (FATE); automation, digital labor, and the gig economy; algorithmic bias, discrimination, and marginalization; environmental and ecological impacts; (mis)representation of identity and embodiment; and AI policy, resistance, and alternative futures. Each iteration of the course will include case studies applying these overarching concerns to specific case studies in contemporary AI applications, like large language models, predictive policing, or disinformation and deepfakes.Offered by Cultural Studies. May not be repeated for credit.