Module manager: Andrew Kirton
Email: A.Kirton@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is approved as a discovery module
We are living through a technological revolution. Artificial Intelligence systems are poised to take on decision-making roles and perform tasks currently requiring human beings in an increasing range of domains. This shift has been fuelled through the groundwork of massive amounts of data from the internet being collected, processed and used to train AI systems. This module provides students with the analytical and theoretical tools to engage with the ethical questions that this revolution raises. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The aims of the module are:
1. To introduce students to the ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence, and the concepts that underpin those issues.
2. To develop critical awareness of the roles artificial intelligence systems may play in society, including the associated benefits and risks for specific users and society itself.
3. To develop the ability to critically evaluate ethical arguments for and against whether artificial intelligence ought to be deployed, through considering the associated implications for a variety of stakeholders.
The objectives will be fulfilled through:
1) Interactive lectures and seminars where students are introduced to core concepts, texts, and arguments, and encouraged to critically reflect on and develop their own arguments about them.
2) Seminar preparation where students read texts critically and analyse the arguments.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Identify and explain the key conceptual and ethical issues surrounding the use of artificial intelligence.
2. Critically evaluate the different approaches that can be taken to those concepts and issues.
3. Develop your own position on those issues through thoughtful, and rationally persuasive arguments.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Communicate ideas and understanding clearly and concisely, using appropriate academic language (Academic and Work Ready skill)
5. Critically analyse source material and demonstrate independence of thought (Academic and Work Ready skill)
6. Search for appropriate material to support knowledge and analysis of topics (Academic, Work Ready, Digital and Sustainability skill)
7. Identify ethical questions and use ethical frameworks (Sustainability skill)
8. Conform to standards of academic integrity including when and how to appropriately acknowledge someone else’s work (Academic and Work Ready skill)
Topics may include:
- Introduction to ethics and methods of argumentation
- The ethics of privacy and data:
- Biases and Block boxes
- When is AI permissible to deploy
- Externalities of AI
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 84 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 16 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
Students are given the option to submit an outline of a presentation, or a segment of a presentation. This segment could be: explaining the background to their chosen issue; presenting an exposition of an argument or position; presenting an objection to an argument/position, and a reply to that objection.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Individual presentation (15 mins - recorded) | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
The resit will be a presentation on a different topic.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 01/05/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team