Spring 2026
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
Dates: January 27, 2026 - May 19, 2026Day/Time: Tuesday; Thursday 8:30 AM - 9:50 AM EDT
Level: 200-Level
Certificate: Technology and Society*
Instructor: Chrys Margaritidis, Bard College
This course provides a forum for discussing a selection of topics about the ethical aspects of Artificial Intelligence through contemporary literature on ethics and technology. We examine and debate case studies on AI and reach conclusions about principles and problems of broader ethical significance. As they prepare for their debates with their fellow students, participants in this class will have the chance to debate a chatbot. In addition, students will engage with generative technology with the help of Google's Cloud Skills Boost platform, learning the basics of AI prompting. Some of the ethical topics discussed include accountability, trust, intelligence, identity, privacy, and mass surveillance. Philosophical principles and problems discussed include the doctrine of double effect, doing vs. allowing harm, theories of personal identity, and aspects of liberal morality and democracy. We also develop a framework to handle ethical questions in the context of AI for individuals, private corporations, and states. No background in ethics or law is required but some affinity to how AI is developing around us is assumed. By the end of the course, students will be able to: be able to understand the basics principles of debate and participate in formal debates demonstrate a clear understanding of debates on central ethical issues in AI and be able to take part in these debates by critiquing significant arguments explain how various positions taken on these topics relate to deeper principles and problems in ethics be able to apply a framework of dealing with issues related to AI perform their own evaluation and critique of the validity and soundness of arguments with care and clarity, both orally and in writing be able to understand and use generative AI prompting
Credits: 4 US / 8 ECTS