David Gray Grant

Current Teaching

Ethics, Data, and Technology (Spring 2023)

In this course, we will explore questions about how emerging technologies should be designed and regulated. What does it mean to say that an algorithm is "biased" against members of a particular social group? Should we be concerned about the fact that technology companies such as Facebook gather vast amounts of data about our online activities? What does it mean to say that a machine learning algorithm is a "black box," and is there something unfair about using such algorithms to decide how to treat people? As we investigate these and other questions about emerging technologies, we will draw on concepts and readings from a variety of different fields, including philosophy, economics, computer science, data science, and law.

Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (Spring 2023)

In this course, we will explore fundamental questions about the nature, possibility, and consequences of artificial intelligence. What is intelligence, and could a computer be intelligent in the same way you and I are intelligent? What about consciousness—could something made out of computer chips know what it is like to see the color red, or hear beautiful music? Do we have moral obligations to machines? What do computer scientists mean when they describe a machine learning system as a “black box”? (Are humans “black boxes” in the same sense?) Why do many people believe that it is morally wrong to deploy lethal autonomous weapons in war, and are they right? As we discuss these questions, we will engage with both classic and contemporary readings in the philosophy of artificial intelligence.