Politics and AI - JPM154

• Title: Politics and AI
• Czech title: Politika a umělá inteligence
• Guaranteed by: Department of Political Science (23-KP)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2024
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 30 / 30 (30)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: Mgr. Tomáš Čech
• Teacher(s): Mgr. Tomáš Čech
• Class: Courses for incoming students

Annotation

This course covers the key topics that allow us to think about artificial intelligence (AI) in a political context. The aim is to offer students perspectives on AI that are related to the political milieu of our societies. After finishing this class students should understand better how to approach AI as a political issue. They should acquire analytical and critical thinking about the world of AI that might help them to generally think about AI and its context. Furthermore, students are encouraged to participate in classes and learn how to structure their ideas. Lastly, they will try out a foresight method (week 12 and weekly assignments) that might help them to think about the future (of any topic) more structurally.

Last update: Baranyaiová Gabriela, PhDr. (06.09.2024)

Aim of the course

Week 1: Introduction to the course and why should we think about AI in a political context?

Crawford, K. (2021). Atlas of AI Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence - Chapter: Introduction (p. 1-21). Yale University Press.

Week 2: The TESCREAL bundle

Gebru, T., & Torres, Émile P. (2024). The TESCREAL bundle: Eugenics and the promise of utopia through artificial general intelligence. First Monday, 29(4).

Week 3: Dehumanization in the age of AI

Bender, E. M. (2024). Resisting Dehumanization in the Age of “AI”. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 33(2), 114-120.

Week 4: The AI Mirror

Vallor, S. (2024). The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking - Chapters: Introduction (p. 1-15) & The AI Mirror (p. 15-37). Oxford University Press.

Week 5: Artificial Whiteness

Katz, Y. (2020). Artificial Whiteness: Politics and Ideology in Artificial Intelligence - Chapter: Artificial Whiteness (p. 153-183). Columbia University Press.

Week 6: AI and freedom
Coeckelbergh, M. (2022). The Political Philosophy of AI. Chapter: Freedom: Manipulation by AI and Robot Slavery (p. 10-37). Polity Press.

Week 7: Discussion of paper proposals

No reading

Week 8: AI and democracy
Coeckelbergh, M. (2022). The Political Philosophy of AI. Chapter: Democracy: Echo Chambers and Machine Totalitarianism (p. 62-93). Polity Press.

Week 9: AI and data

Crawford, K. (2021). Atlas of AI Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence - Chapter: Data (p. 89-122). Yale University Press.

Week 10: AI and capitalism

Verdegem, P. (2024) Dismantling AI capitalism: the commons as an alternative to the power concentration of Big Tech. AI & Soc 39, 727–737.

Week 11: AI and climate
Brevini, B. (2021) Is AI Good for the Planet? Chapter: Why AI Worsens the Climate Crisis (p. 63-90) Polity.

Week 12: Workshop - Three horizons foresight method

No reading

Last update: Čech Tomáš, Mgr. (10.09.2024)

Requirements to the exam

Attendance: Obligatory (maximum of 2 absences)

Participation in class: 20%

Assignments: 20%

Final Paper: 60% (4 000 - 5 000 words)

Optional: Presentation of one of the weekly readings in class deducts 50% from the length of the final paper (i.e. 2000-2500 words). Maximum two people per presentation.

Last update: Baranyaiová Gabriela, PhDr. (06.09.2024)