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CSE 490T Intelligent Machinery, Identity and Ethics – 2 cr seminar

Intelligent Machinery, Identity and Ethics is a rich, interdisciplinary course on the past, present, and future of intelligence, both natural and artificial. The early lectures detail the history of computing, and the way it dovetails with the history of neuroscience, the industrial revolution, math and philosophy. The middle section will zoom out to consider the role of computing and intelligence in natural and evolutionary processes, as well as its role in redefining, augmenting, and sometimes harming individuals and society. ML Fairness and, more broadly AI ethics are part of this picture. In the final third, we’ll explore some of the future implications of large-scale trends and emerging capabilities.

While most of the course material doesn’t require specialized knowledge, the readings (about 100 pages/week) are at times challenging and cover a wide range of disciplines, ranging from journal papers in computer science, biology, social science, and neuroscience to book chapters in the history of art, critical theory, economics, science and technology studies, and the history of ideas.

For more details, see https://intelligentmachinerycourse.com/

We piloted this course in Fall 2018. The overall course rating from that first run was already quite high (4.9 out of 5), with student comments like “VERY intellectually stimulating”, “among my top 2 courses at UW”, and “made me look at the world in a new way”. We’re hoping that, with the benefit of experience and feedback, this second version will be even better.

The course is offered under CSE 490 T and CSE 590 T. We encourage Direct Admits and newly enrolled CSE students to consider taking this course as well.

April 3, 2019