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

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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 24, 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

Aug 31, 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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76 - 81 of 81 Reviews for Artificial Intelligence: Ethics & Societal Challenges

By Ivan L

•

Dec 23, 2023

The logic using peer reviewed assignments is the worst that exists in the educational field. In many years of online courses, I am surprised that it is still used. It shows your laziness - you want to have a course to promote the university brand, but not want to spend effort to feedback. People pay for a subscription and then ask for a forum to evaluate their answer because they cannot receive a certificate without it. Do you think it's ok? Sorry, but I won't participate in this absurdity.

By G W

•

May 7, 2024

While there is some useful information in this course, there is also some misleading information. For example, in the section regarding Surveillance, there seems to be a bit of a scare tactic approach going on. There is also disinformation included. China does NOT have a "social credit system" and they do NOT use facial recognition in the way mentioned. Also, London and the UK have more CCTVs that either Beijing or Shanghai. There is demonstrated bias in this course.

By Wendy L

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Aug 2, 2024

The lessons are interesting but should be more bit-sized as information gets repetitive. The assignments are also not well-structured, asking for us to just share thoughts/summaries for every single task. Please look at varying how learners can test their knowledge or share their thoughts - it gets needlessly arduous and when trying to input via mobile app, the content becomes gibberish and I need to retype again on a laptop.

By poovizhi p

•

Jul 10, 2025

NOT BAD BUT NOT GOOD

By barei

•

May 30, 2023

I have fulfilled this course with success but coursera didn't send me my certificate

By Klee A B Q

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Jun 29, 2025

eh