Ethics of Emerging Technology 

This course will introduce students to the fundamental ethical, legal and social issues arising from the development, use and design of new technologies.  We will ask questions like: What makes an ethical technology? What happens and who is responsible when technology harms? How do we prevent or mitigate bias and discrimination? How do we balance innovation and privacy? In the absence of clear rules, how should users and developers of technology think about their responsibilities? The proliferation of AI, robotics, internet social media platforms and even new consumer electronics are forcing us to confront these important questions with some urgency.

Along the way, we will think about the subject matter the way that lawyers and technologists do: with a view towards effective ethical decision-making, mitigating organizational risk, and achieving best practices. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with the leading frameworks for ethical technology development, possess a strong understanding of the normative theories that inform ethical thinking, and be able to integrate ethical guidelines with the realities of practice. The course will make extensive use of case studies and scenarios drawn from real-world events.