Introduction to AI Ethics and Safety

Over 2 Hours of Video Instruction

Your introduction to the ethics and safety issues involved in the use of Artificial Intelligence.

There is a lot of hype around AI, both positive and negative. Some experts think AI will bring us into a new utopian age, and others think it will bring about humanity’s destruction. You have heard about and perhaps experienced AI’s fast-growing new skills for yourself. This course digs into how these capabilities, while potentially doing a lot of good, also have negative consequences. We are already experiencing some of these consequences like bias and misinformation. And then there are other, potentially larger consequences looming in the future that we can only dream of and dream up ways to steer clear of them.

This course will introduce you to the many ethical and safety considerations that come with powerful AI modeling. Through examining different case studies you will gain new insights, like how ChatGPT’s output can be manipulated and influenced by bad actors, along with new skills such as how to spot a potentially biased dataset or model. We will think outside the box about the consequences of developing large models, and will discuss some tough questions like “Should AI model the world as it is, or as it should be?” and “What does it mean for a model to be sentient?”

Learn How To

• Spot a potentially biased dataset or model
• AI outputs can be manipulated
• What AI Alignment means and why it is difficult to achieve
• Appreciate the importance of understanding ethical issues involved in the use of AI
• Identify misuse of AI
• Identify bias in AI
• Ask important philosophical questions about AI
• Understand potential safety issues involved in the use of AI

Who Should Take This Course

• You have no experience in the technical details of how AI works, but have heard about certain ethical or safety risks AI poses, and would like to learn more
• You have some experience in the technical details of AI, and are interested to learn more about how the way AI is built and trained leads to some of the ethical and safety concerns surrounding it
• You would like to be able understand and discuss the current AI hype and doom talk at a higher level

Anyone who

• Is interested in understanding the ethical and safety issues involved with AI
• Wants to be able to talk about these issues with peers in an informed way

About the Instructor

Kate Harwood is part of the Research & Development team at the New York Times, researching the integration of state-of-the-art large language models into the Times’ reporting and products. She also teaches introduction to AI courses through The Coding School. She has a MS in computer science from Columbia University. Her primary focus is on Natural Language Processing and Ethical AI.

Course Requirements

• No specific requirements

Lesson Descriptions

Lesson 1: AI Ethics

Lesson 1 covers misuse of AI, bias in AI models, the data behind the models, and the philosophical and ethical questions that AI raises.

Lesson 2: AI Safety

The second lesson starts with a discussion of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the concept of the Singularity. Then it turns to AI alignment and regulation. Finally, the instructor discusses why all the concerns about AI safety could be unfounded.

About Pearson Video Training

Pearson publishes expert-led video tutorials covering a wide selection of technology topics designed to teach you the skills you need to succeed. These professional and personal technology videos feature world-leading author instructors published by your trusted technology brands: Addison-Wesley, Cisco Press, Pearson IT Certification, Sams, and Que. Topics include IT Certification, Network Security, Cisco Technology, Programming, Web Development, Mobile Development, and more. Learn more about Pearson Video training at http://www.informit.com/video.