Tech Ethics: Critical Thinking in the Age of Apps, Algorithms, and AI

My name is Michael Sandell. This course is about how we can think our way through the ethical dilemmas technology puts before us. To explore these questions, I

sat down with actor and director Michael B. Jordan. Why not bring Sydney Poier back to life to star in a new role? — I will be a fool not to entertain it, but there's something unsettling about it. It's just a feeling of authenticity that's just not there. — And tech oriented professionals making decisions about new technology every day.

— Algorithms and hiring can play a good role. You can train an algorithm to say, "Hey, I want more candidates from under reppresented racial backgrounds. " Even let's say they are precise in predicting. Sometimes precision means that the past is frozen into the future. All of a sudden I have introduced a discrimination that I have no idea is in there.

Suppose there were an app that could tell someone who would be the best lifelong partner. What would you trust more? That algorithm or your mom? Whose advice would you trust more? — I didn't see that one coming. Mom, I love you. Just for the record, you're always right. — Whose choice would you go with? The app or your mom? — Oh, THAT'S NOT FAIR. — YOU want to vote against mom? — To me, no. It's just a matter of time. Just a data problem. — I disagree. Could it be that what really makes us uneasy about social media and algorithms, about chat bots and AI, is that they may lead us to confuse virtual community and connection with the real thing? — I love technology, but old school storytelling and just sitting around a campfire and talking. There's no substitute for that. — Ethical reasoning is a kind of journey. — This is going to sit on me for a while. This is a good one. The aim of this course has been to invite you on this journey and to see where it might lead you.