Course Overview: ‘Computers and Society’ introduces a wide range of interconnections between computers and society. In this course, students will learn the basic values that drive today’s computer industry and how those often strengthen or differ from many moral values held by different communities in our world. This course will introduce the students to various theories from philosophy and the social sciences to develop a deep understanding of the ethical tensions around the relationship between computers and society.
Final Assessment
1. Consider a case where AI is used to algorithmically determine patient eligibility to
access potentially life-saving surgery. Using two different theories of ethics, evaluate
whether using AI in such scenarios could be considered ethical. State whether you think
AI should be used in this way and why. (2 + 1)
2. Explain what we mean by “Privacy regulation is a dynamic, dialectic, and
optimization process”. Explain the terms and include a real-world example of privacy as
a dynamic/dialectic process and as an optimization process. (1.5 + 1.5)
3. Define “infrastructure” and “infrastructural inversion”. Drawing on these concepts,
describe the ImageNet project. Give examples of one group that could benefit from this
dataset and one group that could be affected negatively. (1 + 1 + 1)
4. What are the steps of the modernization theory proposed by Rostow? Drawing on the
history and criticisms of foreign aid to make your arguments, describe two ways in
which computing research may contribute to sustainable development. (1.5 + 1.5)
5. Using an example, describe the critiques of “White Feminism”. Discuss two
approaches to overcoming the limitations of “White Feminism” in your example. (1 + 1)
6. What are the three categories of environmental impacts of computing? Choose one
technology to use as an example to give 4 different sources of impact. (1 + 2)
7. Define “Surveillance Capitalism.” Using an example, explain how it, along with the
theory of Michel Foucault, helps view social media as a form of social control. (0.5 +
2.5)
Guidelines
Word limit: The word limit for each response is 350.
8.5″×11″ or A4 paper size.
Times New Roman font.
11-point font size.
Single-spaced lines of text
1-inch margins on all sides
Paragraph indentation of 0.5 inches.