Type of Credit: Partially Required
Credit(s)
Number of Students
This course provides a comprehensive overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing role in shaping contemporary societies. Beginning with core concepts and definitions, the course examines how AI intersects with key areas of public life, industry, and governance. Participants will engage with foundational debates on data, privacy, classification, and affective computing, while also considering AI’s implications for sustainability, education, and industry.
With the rapid development of AI, many new and complex issues have emerged that deserve deeper exploration. Therefore, the course has been expanded from 2 to 3 credits, giving students additional time for readings, case studies, and discussions, and allowing them to explore broader topics in greater depth through interactive learning.
能力項目說明
The course is designed to cultivate critical awareness of the ways in which artificial intelligence intersects with social, political, and ethical domains. It seeks not only to familiarize students with the applications of AI across sectors, but also to equip them with the conceptual tools to evaluate its risks, opportunities, and governance challenges. By bringing together case studies, theoretical debates, and practical engagements, the course encourages students to think beyond technical capabilities and to assess how AI is shaping values, institutions, and power relations in diverse contexts.
By the conclusion of the course, students will be able to demonstrate the capacity to identify and explain the principal debates surrounding AI in society and governance. They will be equipped to analyze ethical and human rights challenges emerging from data use, surveillance, bias, and automation, and to compare how different states and institutions approach AI regulation and deployment. Students will also be able to apply insights from case studies to evaluate AI’s influence on sustainability, education, law, and policy. Ultimately, they will have gained the ability to articulate informed perspectives on the future challenges of AI governance and to communicate these perspectives effectively in both academic and professional contexts.
|
每週課程 進度與作 業要求
|
|
|||
|
週次 |
課程主題 |
課程內容與指定閱讀 |
教學活動與作業 |
|
|
1 |
No class |
|||
|
2 |
Introduction |
This week introduces the foundational concepts of artificial intelligence (AI), its definition, and its growing role in society. |
Participants will explore key themes that will recur throughout the course, setting the stage for more specialized discussions in the following weeks. |
|
|
3 |
AI and Sustainability |
Students will read materials examining how AI is being applied to address environmental challenges and enhance sustainability initiatives. |
The discussion will include AI’s role in optimizing resource management and improving efficiency in sectors such as energy and agriculture. Read: Crawford (2021), Chapter 1. |
|
|
4 |
AI and Education |
This week focuses on the impact of AI on educational systems, including personalized learning, assessment methods, and the use of AI in curriculum development. |
Case studies will demonstrate how AI is reshaping the future of education at different levels. |
|
|
5 |
Data |
Students will explore the importance of data in AI development, including the ethical issues surrounding data collection, storage, and use. The session will also cover data governance frameworks and the technical challenges of managing large datasets. |
Crawford (2021), Chapter 3. |
|
|
6 |
No class |
|||
|
7 |
Privacy |
This session examines the privacy concerns associated with AI, discussing regulatory approaches and the tension between innovation and individual rights. The role of AI in surveillance and the challenges of protecting personal data will be critically examined. |
Article 19 (2021) Emotional Entanglement: China’s emotion recognition market and its implications for human rights. |
|
|
8 |
Affective Computing |
This week covers affective computing, the study of AI that can recognize, interpret, and simulate human emotions. The session will examine its applications in various industries and the ethical concerns associated with emotional AI. |
Read: Crawford (2021), Chapter 5 |
|
|
9 |
AI and State |
Participants will study the relationship between AI and state governance, exploring how governments use AI for decision-making, policy enforcement, and public administration. The week will also consider the regulatory frameworks guiding AI deployment in state functions. |
Read: Crawford (2021), Chapter 6 |
|
|
10 |
No class |
|||
|
11 |
AI and Power Relations |
This week examines how AI is reshaping global and domestic power structures. Participants will explore AI’s influence on geopolitical dynamics, economic power, and social hierarchies, with a focus on power asymmetries in technology development and access. |
Read: Crawford (2021), Conclusion |
|
|
12 |
AI and Minorities |
The session addresses the implications of AI for minority communities, with an emphasis on bias in algorithms and unequal access to AI technologies. Case studies will illustrate the real-world effects of AI on marginalized populations. |
Case studies will illustrate the real-world effects of AI on marginalized populations. |
|
|
13 |
Human Rights |
This session examines the intersections between AI and human rights, including issues related to freedom of expression, privacy, and discrimination. Participants will engage with debates on how AI can both support and challenge human rights protections. |
Participants will engage with debates on how AI can both support and challenge human rights protections.
|
|
|
14 |
AI and Disinformation |
The focus this week is on the role of AI in the spread and detection of disinformation. Students will explore AI’s dual potential to exacerbate the problem and provide solutions through automated fact-checking and content moderation. |
Read: DSET (2024) GenAI and Democracy: AI-Driven Disinformation in Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election and Lessons for the World. |
|
|
15 |
AI and International Development |
Participants will investigate how AI is being applied in the context of international development. The session will also consider the risks of widening global inequalities due to AI. |
The course will cover the use of AI in addressing global challenges such as poverty, health crises, and education access. |
|
|
16 |
Conclusion |
The final week synthesizes the key themes of the course, reviewing how AI interacts with and influences various sectors of society. |
Participants will reflect on the challenges and opportunities AI presents for the future, preparing them for further research or professional application in the field. |
|
|
*教學周次16周，課程強度與教學密度仍須符合大學法所定大學學分之計算，原則以授課滿18小時 為一學分之規範。 *講座型課程請列出每週授課教師，其授課鐘點費由主授教師支應或事先申請按授課時數分別造冊。 主授教師應至少授課四週，不含期中、期末考。校級經典講座、跨校、跨界及委辦課程不受此限。 |
||||
Weekly Participation 40 pts.
Weekly Attendance 15 pts.
Workshop worksheet 10 pts.
Final Presentation 35 pts