Olivier Del Fabbro: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2021 |
Name | Dr. Olivier Del Fabbro |
Address | Professur für Philosophie ETH Zürich, CLW D 2 Clausiusstrasse 49 8092 Zürich SWITZERLAND |
Telephone | +41 44 633 91 17 |
olivier.delfabbro@phil.gess.ethz.ch | |
Department | Humanities, Social and Political Sciences |
Relationship | Lecturer |
Number | Title | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
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851-0088-00L | History and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence | 3 credits | 2S | O. Del Fabbro | |
Abstract | In this course we read important texts in the historical development of the field of artificial intelligence, for example: Alan Turing, Warren McCulloch & Walter Pitts, John Searle's Chinese Room Argument, Ray Kurzweil's Singularity etc. The main focus of the seminar is to trace the development of the field of AI and to better understand what the concept of intelligence means in this context. | ||||
Learning objective | Students should learn to critically assess historical, scientific and philosophical texts. The focus will lie on the field of artificial intelligence and the concept of intelligence. Students should learn about the different types of argumentative texts and scientific theories. They should learn to understand the descriptive and critical value of texts. | ||||
851-0174-00L | Rebooting AI: Human and Social Aspects of Artificial Intelligence Suitable only for MA and PhD students | 3 credits | 2G | J. L. Gastaldi, O. Del Fabbro, A. Nardo, D. Trninic | |
Abstract | Several researchers from the humanities will propose a critical yet not partisan approach to AI, aiming at elaborating a common perspective on this phenomenon. Sessions will delve into aspects of the way in which AI challenges our understanding of the human, such as “Knowledge”, “Learning”, “Language”, “Freedom” or “Justice”. | ||||
Learning objective | During the course, students will be able to: -Discuss relevant aspects of the impact of AI in human and social life -Obtain theoretical and methodological tools for critically assessing the place of technology in society -Develop a critical understanding of the conceptual grounds of AI -Acquire a general perspective on the different fields and points of views in the humanities -Engage in collaborative work with researchers in the humanities | ||||
Content | The last decades have witnessed a remarkable development in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Although mainly technical feat, such advances have decisive consequences in a wide variety of aspects of human and social life. Even more, AI is challenging in multiple ways our very understanding of what is to be a human. However, despite the significance of the transformations at stake, the perspectives of the humanities -traditionally established as a valid source of critical inquiry into human matters- are generally relegated to a secondary role in the development of AI. In this seminar, several researchers from the humanities will propose a critical yet not partisan approach to AI, aiming at elaborating a common perspective which could be taken as a legitimate interlocutor in the debates arising around the current stakes of technology in our society. The seminar will take the form of presentations based on critical readings of chosen texts, followed by group discussions. Each session will delve into one aspect of the way in which AI challenges our understanding of the human, such as “Knowledge”, “Learning”, “Language”, “Freedom” or “Justice”, confronting how they are dealt with in state-of-the-art texts in AI and relevant works in the humanities. We expect students from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and other fields outside the humanities to actively contribute to a collective construction, which could lead to further collaboration within but also outside this course. As part of the Turing Centre, this seminar intends to sow the seed of a suitable and long-term environment for the exchange of ideas between multiple fields in the natural sciences and the humanities. The seminar will be conducted by Olivier Del Frabbro, Juan Luis Gastaldi, Aline Nardo, Vanessa Rampton and Dragan Trninic. | ||||
Prerequisites / Notice | Suitable only for MA and PhD students |