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Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, 7.5 credits

Spring 2025, Half-time, Distance

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, 7.5 credits

Spring 2025, Full-time, Linköping

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, 7.5 credits

Autumn 2025, Full-time, Linköping

Will open for late application 15 July 2025

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, 7.5 credits

Autumn 2025, Half-time, Distance

Will open for late application 15 July 2025

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, 7.5 credits

Spring 2026, Half-time, Distance

Application period not open

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, 7.5 credits

Spring 2026, Full-time, Linköping

Application period not open

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere and in many different forms, intelligent assistance in mobile phones and self-driving vehicles being some examples. An increased reliance on advanced AI systems for vital societal functions gives rise to ethical questions regarding usage and management. And, the more sophisticated such systems get, the more relevant the question of their moral status becomes. Which sort of agents are artificial systems? Can they be considered moral agents and can they be ascribed moral responsibility? The course focuses on three main areas of moral relevance for autonomous systems and AI: responsibility for decisions made by artificial agents, bias/discrimination as a result of AI use, and the importance of participation in the development of AI systems. During this course, students are provided theoretical tools for reflection on the development of AI, requirements that ought to be made regarding this technology and how it ought to be managed in society.

Lars Lindblom

Lars Lindblom about the course

Course coordinator Lars explains what the course includes and focuses on. You are warmly welcome to apply!

Meet Romulo Piazzalunga

Why did you choose to take the course?
As someone with a bachelor's degree in law, ethics and the concept of justice have always been interesting subjects for me to pursuit. Some of my favorite books, series, and films tend to focus on life’s inconsistencies. Michael Sandel’s Justice: What is the Right Thing to Do?, Yuval Harari’s Homo Deus: A Brief Story of Tomorrow, Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, and Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report helped me better comprehend life’s gray areas, as opposed to sticking with a simpler, Manichean rationale. So, enrolling in a course that focuses on ethical reasoning of such a current theme such as Artificial Intelligence was both exciting and logical.

What was the best part of the course?
The classes and the group work were arguably the best part of the course. Philosophical concepts and ethical thinking can become overwhelming if one is not well guided, and it was always amusing to debate with my colleagues over each one’s interpretation of a subject or a text.

If someone asks you about the course, what would you say?
I would recommend for all of those intrigued by the present and future of human interaction. In today’s fast-paced world, we tend to absorb all the information that is thrown at us in need of always feeling ahead of the curb. But we seldomly stop and reflect on the core, ethical implications of the technological advancements we are being exposed to, particularly that of AI. It is easier to neglect correlation and causation and just hop in the wagon without wondering about the possible implications AI could have not only to us but also to different groups, some of which can be further sidelined due to echoes and biases within AI development. At the end of the day, AI is carried out by humans with their own preconceptions about the world, something which should not be neglected.

Tell us about what you are doing today.
I have recently finished my master’s program in European and International Relations at LiU, with a thesis on the EU’s food security compass and the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement. This a complex philosophical subject itself, particularly since the war in Ukraine. Due to the course on AI, however, I decided to develop my skillset in data analysis, business analysis, and AI prompting, with courses provided by institutions such as Google, IBM, and Microsoft. My goal is to work with international tax, an area I already have some professional experience and am very interested in. LiU’s course on the Ethics of AI has given me the tools to embrace AI without losing myself in the daily ethical challenges it inevitably brings to my life.


Romulo Piazzalunga
Romulo Piazzalunga

"I would recommend for all of those intrigued by the present and future of human interaction."

Micael Frideros

Varför valde du att gå kursen?
När jag för tio år sedan började intressera mig för utvecklingen inom AI-området valde jag fördjupa mig i ämnet genom att gå en stor mängd kurser, både vid svenska och internationella lärosäten och vid företag som Google. Ju mer jag läste, desto mer övertygad blev jag att AI-teknikens potential. All teknik kan både brukas och missbrukas – och kraftfullare teknik innebär, på gott och ont, större konsekvenser. Som jag ser det har AI potential att utvecklas till en av de mest kraftfulla tekniker som mänskligheten någonsin har skapat (kanske den kraftfullaste?). Därmed följer en stor mängd etiska och filosofiska frågor, som både är mycket intressanta och mycket viktiga. En kurs som denna är ett utmärkt sammanhang att fundera, reflektera och diskutera dessa frågor!

Vad var det bästa med kursen?
I mina ögon har kursen många styrkor – givetvis ämnet, men också upplägget, som låter studenterna fördjupa sig i någon frågeställning som de tycker är särskilt intressant. För min del valde jag att studera hur inställningen reglering av AI skiljer sig mellan olika regioner (EU, Kina och USA) – och mellan olika amerikanska administrationer (Obama vs Trump).

Om någon frågar dig om kursen, vad skulle du säga då?
Läs den! AI-tekniken utvecklas fortfarande mycket fort – och blir allt kraftfullare. Därmed blir det allt viktigare att reflektera över tekniken och dess konsekvenser!

Berätta om vad du gör idag.
Idag är jag doktorand inom AI-strategier, följeforskare i ett AI-projekt och biträdande föreståndare för LiU:s Plattform AI – en struktur som stödjer AI-utvecklingen vid hela universitetet.

Male PhD student on Campus.
Micael Frideros. Photographer: Ulrik Svedin

"Läs kursen! AI-tekniken utvecklas fortfarande mycket fort – och blir allt kraftfullare. Därmed blir det allt viktigare att reflektera över tekniken och dess konsekvenser!"

Studying via distance