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Ross Asdourian

The AI Ethics Certification course teaches right and wrong, if such a thing exists, in the context of the artificial intelligence industry. This three-section training starts by asking "What is ethics?" We’ll discuss its history, different philosophies, ethics in business, and learn the five most common principles. Second, ethics as it pertains specifically to AI with interviews from founders across the globe. We will examine commonly cited principles from governments and leaders and equate them to the five traditional pillars. Then finally, we establish a framework for your ethics roadmap. The goal is to provide stronger trust between you, your product or service, the people in the industry, and the public. Despite being a nebulous topic, we'll have fun on the path to understanding morality and committing to a better future.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • What is ethics and how does it affect data and ai?
  • How to use virtue-based thinking to gain trust in ai.
  • How ethics and data keep the law from stifling innovation.
  • If and how to approach creating ethics guidelines.

Syllabus

Company-Wide Principles
A Closer Look: Telefónica
CSR and Ethics Values
Principle Questions to Ask
Read more

Welcome to the course!

The law is the bare minimum to govern behavior. Let's set some goals for the coursework to come.

Ethics and Practical Questions to Ask

Test for Section 1: What is Ethics?

Test for Section 1: Ethics in AI

Closing test for certification.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Examines commonly cited principles from governments and leaders, which helps learners align their practices with global standards
Establishes a framework for an ethics roadmap, which provides practical guidance for integrating ethical considerations into AI projects
Includes interviews from founders across the globe, which offers diverse perspectives on AI ethics and its practical applications
Explores the five traditional pillars of ethics, which provides a foundational understanding of ethical principles relevant to AI
Discusses ethics in business, which helps learners understand the importance of ethical considerations in the AI industry
Includes exercises such as role play and 'Is/Ought/If', which may help learners apply ethical principles to real-world scenarios

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Reviews summary

Solid foundation in ai ethics principles

According to students, this course provides a solid foundation in AI ethics principles, deemed incredibly important for anyone working in AI. Learners appreciate the logical structure that progresses from general ethics to AI specifics. A major highlight for many are the insightful interviews with industry leaders, adding valuable real-world perspective. While the course is seen as a comprehensive introduction, some found the initial philosophical sections a bit challenging to follow or felt the course could benefit from more concrete examples and practical application frameworks. The tests are considered fair and helpful for reinforcing learning.
Covers historical and ethical theories.
"Some parts were a bit philosophical for my taste..."
"Found this course quite challenging to follow at times, especially the philosophical sections."
"The coverage of historical ethics and philosophical underpinnings was thorough."
"The philosophy section felt a bit long."
Logical flow from general ethics to AI.
"The structure is logical, starting with general ethics before moving to AI specifics."
"I appreciated the structure and the flow of topics."
"The structure is clear and progressive."
Real-world perspectives from founders/CTOs.
"The interviews with industry leaders were particularly insightful and added a lot of real-world perspective."
"The interviews are a highlight, offering diverse viewpoints."
"The interviews were inspiring and grounded the theory."
"The interviews were informative."
Provides a crucial base in AI ethics.
"This course is incredibly important for anyone working in AI. It provides a solid foundation..."
"A comprehensive introduction to AI ethics. The coverage of historical ethics and philosophical underpinnings was thorough."
"Crucial knowledge for anyone in tech. This course provides the vocabulary and frameworks needed..."
"I gained a strong foundation in AI ethics from this course."
Desire for more hands-on application.
"I was hoping for more concrete examples or frameworks for implementation in practice."
"I felt the link between the initial ethics theory and the AI application wasn't always clear."
"It leans more towards theory and principles than hands-on implementation..."
"I wish there were more exercises or projects to apply the concepts."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Artificial Intelligence Ethics Certification with these activities:
Review 'Ethics for the Information Age'
Gain a strong foundation in ethical theories and their application to information technology.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Ethics for the Information Age'.
  • Read the chapters on ethical theories and principles.
  • Relate the concepts to AI scenarios.
Review Ethical Theories
Strengthen your understanding of the foundational concepts covered in the course.
Browse courses on Deontology
Show steps
  • Review your notes on ethical theories.
  • Complete practice questions on ethical dilemmas.
Review 'Weapons of Math Destruction'
Understand the potential for algorithmic bias and its impact on society.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Weapons of Math Destruction'.
  • Read the book, focusing on examples of algorithmic bias.
  • Reflect on how these biases can be mitigated in AI development.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write an essay on AI ethics principles
Solidify your understanding of AI ethics principles by articulating them in your own words.
Show steps
  • Choose three AI ethics principles from the course.
  • Research real-world examples of each principle in action or violation.
  • Write a 500-word essay discussing each principle and its implications.
Design an AI ethics checklist
Apply your knowledge by creating a practical tool for evaluating the ethical implications of AI projects.
Show steps
  • Identify key ethical considerations for AI development.
  • Develop a checklist with specific questions to address each consideration.
  • Test the checklist on a hypothetical AI project.
Develop a presentation on AI ethics
Deepen your understanding by preparing and delivering a presentation on AI ethics to peers or colleagues.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific topic within AI ethics.
  • Research the topic and gather relevant information.
  • Create a presentation with clear and concise slides.
  • Practice delivering the presentation.
Attend an AI ethics conference
Expand your network and learn from experts in the field of AI ethics.
Show steps
  • Research upcoming AI ethics conferences.
  • Register for a conference that aligns with your interests.
  • Attend sessions and network with other attendees.

Career center

Learners who complete Artificial Intelligence Ethics Certification will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Ethics Officer
An Ethics Officer is responsible for ensuring ethical conduct within an organization. This role involves developing and implementing ethical guidelines, policies, and training programs. An ethics officer should be familiar with the history of ethics, various philosophical approaches, and the five traditional pillars of ethics. This course explores these topics in depth and may help individuals learn how to identify and address ethical dilemmas, aligning company actions with values and principles. The course's focus on building a values statement and mapping principles within a context would be particularly relevant to this role.
Compliance Analyst
A Compliance Analyst monitors and enforces adherence to laws, regulations, and internal policies. This role includes assessing risk, developing compliance programs, and ensuring that an organization operates within ethical and legal boundaries. This course provides an understanding of ethical principles and their application to artificial intelligence. A compliance analyst may find that this course provides a basis for how to translate ethical values into actionable compliance measures. The course material on creating ethical guidelines may be helpful to establishing policies, and the sections on transparency, liability, and attribution may be particularly useful.
AI Consultant
An AI Consultant advises organizations on the strategic use of artificial intelligence. This role involves assessing an organization's needs, recommending AI solutions, and ensuring that these solutions are aligned with ethical standards. An AI consultant should have an understanding of ethics principles, which are taught in this course, as well as how they can be applied to AI projects. With the course's content on aligning ethical values with business goals, an AI consultant will be able to integrate the course material directly into solutions they recommend for their clients. The building of a value statement would be especially relevant.
Policy Analyst
A Policy Analyst researches, develops, and evaluates policies for organizations or government agencies. This role requires a deep understanding of the social, legal, and ethical implications of policies. This course provides a foundation in ethics, particularly as it relates to artificial intelligence, giving a policy analyst insight into the values and principles that should inform policy creation. This course will be beneficial because it teaches how to create a framework for ethics. The course's content on beneficence, nonmaleficence, and building a value statement would be particularly important to this role.
AI Product Manager
An AI Product Manager oversees the development and launch of artificial intelligence products. This role includes defining product vision, strategy, and roadmaps, and ensuring that the product meets user needs and ethical standards. The course's framework for ethics may be helpful for product managers in building ethical considerations into the product development process. An AI product manager may learn how to align product goals with ethical values, and the material in this course on transparency, bias, and privacy could be very applicable.
Data Scientist
A Data Scientist analyzes data to extract insights and develop data driven strategies. This role involves working with large datasets, building machine learning models, and communicating findings to stakeholders. This course may be helpful to the role of a data scientist because it covers ethical considerations, such as fairness and bias, and how these must shape the data collection and analysis process. A data scientist should learn how to apply ethical principles to the development of AI models and algorithms through this course. The course materials on transparency and unbias may be particularly useful to a data scientist.
Public Relations Specialist
A Public Relations Specialist manages an organization's communication with the public. This includes crafting press releases, managing social media, and handling crises. The discussions in this course about trust, principles, and company values are all especially helpful to a public relations specialist. Given the material in the course on ethical considerations, a public relations specialist can communicate a company's values with the public. The section of the course on building a value statement will be particularly relevant in this role.
Innovation Manager
An Innovation Manager works to foster new ideas and technologies within an organization. This includes identifying opportunities for innovation, managing innovation projects, and ensuring that new initiatives align with an organization's mission and values. This course may be helpful to an innovation manager because it provides a framework for considering the ethical implications of new technology. An innovation manager should have a vision for the future. Given the material in this course on trust, it would be useful in creating innovations that the general public supports. The course's focus on principles would be particularly relevant.
Research Scientist
A Research Scientist conducts scientific research, typically in a specialized area. In the field of AI, research scientists work on developing new algorithms and models for use cases in a variety of industries. This course may be helpful to a research scientist because it explores the ethical implications of AI. A research scientist needs to consider the societal impact of their work, and the course's discussion of the five pillars of ethics provides a useful framework. The course material on practical questions to ask when creating ethics guidelines may be particularly applicable to this role.
Project Manager
A Project Manager plans, executes, and closes projects within budget and on schedule. In the technology sector project managers commonly oversee work on complex artificial intelligence projects. This course may be useful to a project manager because it provides a framework for considering the ethical implications of AI projects. Given that a project manager is responsible for the outcome of the project, the material on liability is important. The course’s discussion about incorporating ethics into project strategy and goal-setting can be directly applied to the role. The course's content on mapping with context will be especially applicable.
Software Engineer
A Software Engineer develops and maintains software applications. In AI, this may involve creating and deploying machine learning models. This course may be useful to a software engineer because it provides awareness of the ethical issues in artificial intelligence which can then guide their development work. A software engineer should learn to keep ethical considerations in mind during the development lifecycle. The sections of the course on bias, privacy, and transparency would be immediately relevant in this role, teaching the software engineer to avoid negative outcomes.
Human Resources Specialist
A Human Resources Specialist manages employee-related matters within an organization. This may include developing policies, recruiting and hiring, and addressing employee concerns. This course may be helpful to a human resources specialist because it provides a broader understanding of ethics which can be applied to situations in the workplace. A human resources specialist should learn how to create an ethical work environment. The course's content on the five principles may be helpful in creating internal policies.
Business Analyst
A Business Analyst analyzes business processes and identifies opportunities to improve efficiency and profitability. This role may involve working with data, business process modeling, and collaborating with stakeholders. This course may be useful to a business analyst because it provides a framework for identifying and addressing ethical considerations. A business analyst can apply the course material on values and principles to their work. The course's content on ethics in business may be particularly useful to this role.
Teacher
A Teacher educates students on various subjects, in this case potentially focusing on technology or ethics. This course may be useful to a teacher because it will provide them with specific knowledge of AI ethics. A teacher could create lesson plans based on the content of this course. The course's exploration of different ethical philosophies could be particularly relevant to a teacher.
Journalist
A Journalist researches and reports news for various media outlets. Often they cover topics such as emerging technology. This course may be useful to a journalist who covers artificial intelligence and machine learning. A journalist needs to understand the context of AI, and this course may help them to understand the ethical considerations when reporting on complex topics. The course's focus on transparency and liability would be especially relevant to this role.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Artificial Intelligence Ethics Certification.
Explores the dangers of algorithmic bias and how seemingly objective mathematical models can perpetuate and amplify social inequalities. It provides real-world examples of how biased algorithms can negatively impact individuals and communities. This book is valuable as additional reading to the course. Understanding these issues is crucial for developing ethical AI systems.
Provides a comprehensive overview of ethical theories and their application to information technology, including AI. It covers topics such as privacy, intellectual property, and responsibility, offering a strong foundation for understanding AI ethics. It is often used as a textbook in university courses. Reading this book will provide a broader and deeper understanding of the ethical landscape surrounding AI development and deployment.

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