Ethics of Technology
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Ethics of Technology
This course is part of Ethical Leadership Specialization
Instructor: Kirsten Martin
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What you'll learn
Examine the role and responsibilities of design and development in the ethics of data and analytics.
Analyze the ethical dimensions of data and analytics using conceptual tools and a moral vocabulary.
Categorize ethical issues associated with data analytics development and use.
Investigate the ethical dilemmas associated with data analytics.
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There are 4 modules in this course
This course explores the ethical implications of data analytics. It connects old ideas – privacy, surveillance, power, justice, accountability, corporate responsibility, stakeholder theory – with new technologies and cases, such as the use of machine learning to predict crime. The course will prepare you to evaluate strategic arguments about the ethics of data analytics and to relate data analytics to ethical concepts so that you approach newer, ambiguous capabilities of technology and artificial intelligence with a critical eye.
Welcome to Week 1 of the course! This week, you will participate in a variety of learning experiences so that you can begin framing your awareness of the biases inherent in technology. First, you will view a welcome video from your instructor. Then, your instructor will introduce you to this week’s topic. You will review two case studies, complete two practice quizzes, and view your instructor’s analyses of the two case studies. Finally, you will wrap up the week by completing one multiple-choice quiz and one reflective quiz so that you can apply the ethical theories you learn about this week to morally evaluate technology biases or preferences.
What's included
5 videos11 readings4 assignments
5 videos•Total 21 minutes
- Welcome to the Course!•1 minute
- Technological Biases•7 minutes
- Analysis of “The Secret Bias Hidden in Mortgage-Approval Algorithms”•3 minutes
- Ethical Theories and Technology•7 minutes
- Analysis of “Amazon Is Using Algorithms With Little Human Intervention to Fire Flex Workers”•3 minutes
11 readings•Total 81 minutes
- Welcome•2 minutes
- Course Overview and Requirements•7 minutes
- Meet Your Instructor•2 minutes
- Netiquette•2 minutes
- Get help and meet other learners. Join your Community!•5 minutes
- Introduction to Technological Biases•2 minutes
- “The Secret Bias Hidden in Mortgage-Approval Algorithms”•45 minutes
- Introduction to Ethical Theories and Technology•2 minutes
- “Amazon Is Using Algorithms With Little Human Intervention to Fire Flex Workers”•10 minutes
- Week 1 Summary•2 minutes
- Week 1: Next Steps•2 minutes
4 assignments•Total 165 minutes
- Lesson 1.3•25 minutes
- Lesson 1.3 Reflection•120 minutes
- Lesson 1.1•10 minutes
- Lesson 1.2•10 minutes
Welcome to Week 2 of the course! This week, you will examine theories of privacy and surveillance. You will also be given an opportunity to reflect upon how the design of technology contributes to violations of privacy and surveillance.
What's included
4 videos6 readings4 assignments
4 videos•Total 19 minutes
- Theories of Privacy•8 minutes
- Analysis of “There’s a Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data”•2 minutes
- Theories of Surveillance•7 minutes
- Analysis of “There’s a Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data”•2 minutes
6 readings•Total 58 minutes
- Introduction to Theories of Privacy•2 minutes
- “There’s a Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data”•20 minutes
- Introduction to Theories of Surveillance•2 minutes
- “There’s a Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data” •30 minutes
- Week 2 Summary•2 minutes
- Week 2: Next Steps•2 minutes
4 assignments•Total 165 minutes
- Lesson 2.3•25 minutes
- Lesson 2.3 Reflection •120 minutes
- Lesson 2.1•10 minutes
- Lesson 2.2•10 minutes
Welcome to Week 3 of the course! When an AI program decides if you are employable, can it discriminate? This week you will examine different theories of discrimination and fairness in data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. You will also review cases that depict how technology can discriminate so that you can consider how the technology design can impact and treat people differently.
What's included
4 videos6 readings4 assignments
4 videos•Total 18 minutes
- Technology and Discrimination•7 minutes
- Analysis of “Amazon Scraps Secret AI Recruiting Tool That Showed Bias Against Women”•1 minute
- Fairness and Justice: The COMPAS Case•7 minutes
- Analysis of “Machine Bias”•2 minutes
6 readings•Total 41 minutes
- Introduction to Technology and Discrimination•2 minutes
- “Amazon Scraps Secret AI Recruiting Tool That Showed Bias Against Women”•8 minutes
- Introduction to Technology and Fairness•2 minutes
- “Machine Bias”•25 minutes
- Week 3 Summary•2 minutes
- Week 3: Next Steps•2 minutes
4 assignments•Total 165 minutes
- Lesson 3.3•25 minutes
- Lesson 3.3 Reflection •120 minutes
- Lesson 3.1 •10 minutes
- Lesson 3.2•10 minutes
Welcome to Week 4 of the course! One of the primary purposes of technology design is to solve problems. So take a moment to consider a few global issues or problems that you would like to see (re)solved. Do other people share your interest in these issues? What role could technology play in solving these problems? How could the outcomes achieved by a technological intervention (to solve these problems) be accurately measured? This week, you will delve into the heart of these issues by examining how technology can make mistakes and how we can think of holding people accountable for technology.
What's included
5 videos6 readings4 assignments
5 videos•Total 19 minutes
- Artificial Intelligence and Mistakes•8 minutes
- Analysis of “Pasco’s Sheriff Uses Grades and Abuse Histories to Label Schoolchildren Potential Criminals”•2 minutes
- Contestability and Ethical Artificial Intelligence •6 minutes
- Analysis of “Cheating-Detection Companies Made Millions During the Pandemic. Now Students Are Fighting Back.”•2 minutes
- Conclusion and Wrap-Up•1 minute
6 readings•Total 58 minutes
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and the Mistakes It Makes•2 minutes
- “Pasco’s Sheriff Uses Grades and Abuse Histories to Label Schoolchildren Potential Criminals”•30 minutes
- The Reasons Why Contestability Is Required for Ethical Artificial Intelligence•2 minutes
- “Cheating-Detection Companies Made Millions during the Pandemic. Now Students are Fighting Back.”•20 minutes
- Week 4 Summary•2 minutes
- Next Steps•2 minutes
4 assignments•Total 165 minutes
- Lesson 4.3•25 minutes
- Lesson 4.3 Reflection •120 minutes
- Lesson 4.1•10 minutes
- Lesson 4.2•10 minutes
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Reviewed on Feb 13, 2025
Very informative. I enjoyed this course a great deal and looking forward to the next Ethics course. Highly recommend too!
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