HNRS 200: Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, and Society

September 2026 - present

Artificial intelligence (AI) and other algorithm-driven systems—in which machines perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence— are increasingly prevalent in today’s society, including everything from social media recommendation systems to large language models to robots. These systems now shape much of our social and cultural life, and have the potential to support or replace human activities. This course aims to help students navigate AI critically and responsibly by examining some societal consequences such as: bias leading to unfair or discriminatory outcomes; questions around intellectual property, creativity, and labor; ethical use of AI in education; environmental costs; and information literacy. Students will be encouraged to reflect on who is being empowered or marginalized by new technologies and whether the systems’ benefits outweigh their resource demands and potential harms. The course will consist of discussion of weekly readings of accessible, non-fiction books including Unmasking AI by Dr. Joy Buolamwini and other related works.

Course Objectives

• Students should be able to understand the influence of interactive software and AI systems on society.
• Students should be able to identify ethical challenges related to interactive software and AI systems in society.
• Students should be able to critically examine their own use of AI systems and articulate their reasoning for the use of such tools.