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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Artificial Intelligence: Ethics & Societal Challenges by Lund University

4.7
stars
241 ratings

About the Course

Artificial Intelligence: Ethics & Societal Challenges is a four-week course that explores ethical and societal aspects of the increasing use of artificial intelligent technologies (AI). The aim of the course is to raise awareness of ethical and societal aspects of AI and to stimulate reflection and discussion upon implications of the use of AI in society. The course consists of four modules where each module represents about one week of part-time studies. A module includes a number of lectures and readings. Each lesson finishes with a mandatory assignment in which you write a short sum-up of the most important new knowledge/insight you gained from this lesson, and review a lesson sum-up written by another student/participant. The assessments are intended to encourage learning and to stimulate reflection on ethical and societal issues of the use of AI in society. Participating in forum discussions is voluntary but strongly encouraged. In the first module, we will discuss algorithmic bias and surveillance. Is it really true that algorithms are purely logical and free from human biases or are they maybe just as biased as we are, and if they are, why is that and what can we do about it? AI in many ways makes surveillance more effective, but what does it mean to us if we are increasingly being watched in more and more sophisticated ways? Next, we will talk about the impact of AI on democracy. We discuss why democracy is important, and how AI could hamper public democratic discussion, but also how it can help improve democracy. We will for instance talk about how social media could play in the hands of authoritarian regimes and present some ideas on how to make use of AI tools to develop the functioning of democracy. A further ethical question concerns whether our treatment of AI could matter for the AIs themselves. Can artefacts be conscious? What do we even mean by “conscious”? What is the relationship between consciousness and intelligence? This is the topic of the third week of the course. In the last module we will talk about responsibility and control. If an autonomous car hits an autonomous robot, who is responsible? And who is responsible to make sure AI is developed in a safe and democratic way? The last question of the course, and maybe also the ultimate question for our species, is how to control machines that are more intelligent than we are. Our intelligence has given us a lot of power over the world we live in. Shall we really give that power away to machines and if we do, how do we stay in charge? At the end of the course, you will have · a basic understanding of the AI bias phenomenon and the role of AI in surveillance, · a basic understanding of the importance of democracy in relation to AI and acquaintance with common issues with democracy in relation to AI, · an understanding of the complexity of the concepts ‘intelligence’ and ‘consciousness’ and acquaintance with common approaches to creating artificial consciousness, · a basic understanding of the concepts of ‘forward-looking’ and ‘backward-looking responsibility’ and an acquaintance with problems connected to applying these concepts on AI, · a basic understanding of the control problem in AI and acquaintance with commonly discussed solutions to this problem, · and an ability to discuss and reflect upon the ethical and societal aspects of these issues....

Top reviews

MR

Mar 25, 2025

Personally, courses in Coursera is really helpful for me. I can take my own time, it reminds me to complete. And I gained lot of new things from this courses.

KS

Sep 1, 2023

great introduction to AI for the average person. Good insight into the issues we will face and ways we can use democratic ways to resolve and monitor.

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26 - 50 of 63 Reviews for Artificial Intelligence: Ethics & Societal Challenges

By Kerry D

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Apr 21, 2025

I really enjoyed this course and gained so much knowledge because of it.

By Afán d R

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Aug 17, 2024

Deep and well taught course, good base for understanding AI Ethics.

By Pedro C C

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Apr 12, 2025

Gran curso, fácil de entender y con ejemplos muy prácticos.

By Daryna B

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Apr 5, 2023

Very Informative, I loved the perspective and facts!

By Adam G C K

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Jul 24, 2024

great course prepared by the Lund University Team

By Pranav P

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Dec 17, 2024

A much needed perspective on using AI ethically

By sociowan

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Feb 11, 2024

thought provoking and informative!

By Laurence T

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Apr 16, 2025

Très intéressant et très complet

By Ruben G

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Sep 14, 2024

Great foundation for AI ethics

By Andres S S

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Aug 12, 2024

Very helpful and informative.

By Andrew N

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Mar 13, 2024

great experience thanks guys

By Mohamed A M

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Dec 22, 2024

Best platform in leaning

By Junedh s

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May 29, 2022

great learning exprience

By hakem b

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Jan 3, 2022

It was very interesting

By Brendon N

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Sep 19, 2024

Lots to think about!

By Amritpal K D

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Dec 11, 2023

Outstanding, Awesome

By Marco A P M

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Jul 24, 2024

excelente curso

By Carmel B

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Oct 19, 2024

very helpful

By Aysel N

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Sep 10, 2024

excellent

By Daniel K H S

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Aug 31, 2023

muy bueno

By Ricardo R

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Dec 31, 2024

Genial

By Jovelle E M C

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Oct 19, 2024

good

By Rodrigo N M

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Nov 20, 2023

.

By Jim H

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May 22, 2024

This was a good an interesting course, covering a lot of the ethics and societal issues we should consider. It would benefit from having some of the writing assignments be more open-ended, asking for our thoughts and projections, just not a summary of the section. The grading could also be broader -- 0-5 points vs just 0 or 1. Some of the readings were useful. However, quite a few of them were not really accessible, requiring purchase at $30-$40, or simply didn't work. Neither is particularly helpful.

By NAYEEM I

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Oct 6, 2023

This course is worth understanding the importance of the ethics and societal challenges of AI, not only with regards to the technical point but also with regard to the philosophical and ethical side. This course justifies its name and has a great pace; perhaps I would have loved more of the technical part of solving these issues and not just the theoretical. But nonetheless, it was worth the time.