DIGITAL HUMANITIES 3: DIGITAL ETHICS

This course deals with digital technologies and the associated ethical and social implications from a multidisciplinary perspective. The overall objectives of the course are 1) to introduce the main societal and ethical issues connected to the development and deployment of digital tools and, in particular, big data enabling technologies, such as those developed in the context of machine learning and data science; 2) to gain a better understanding of the variety of factors involved in the ethical and social issues of digital technologies (technical, philosophical, business, legal factors, etc.); 3) to offer conceptual tools to critically analyse the impact of digital applications on individuals and the society as a whole.

Knowledge and understanding
- The elements underlying a computer system and its functioning.
- The mechanisms enabling the exploitation of big data and in particular machine learning.
- Ethical and social problems arising in the context of digital technologies and big data.

Capability of applying knowledge and comprehension
- To apply the learned notions appropriately to concrete scenarios.
- To become familiar with the terminology and approaches offered by different fields of study (computer science, philosophy, law, etc).
- To distinguish the factors involved in ethical problems connected to the application of big data and digital technologies.
- To identify and critically analyze the ethical and social problems in specific use cases.

Capability of judgment
- To elaborate a critical reflection and arguments with respect to the adoption and application of digital technologies in the contemporary world.

Communication skills
- To apply the learned terminology appropriately.
- To clearly express critical reflections and arguments in written and oral text.
- To interact with peers and the instructor in a constructive way.

No preparatory knowledge is required

The field of computer science and its relations to other fields
The elements of a computer system, Internet and the World Wide Web
Technical artefacts and socio-technical systems
Big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science
Ethics in computer science, AI and big data
Safety, Accuracy and Robustness
Privacy and data protection
Bias and discrimination
Autonomy
Transparency
Accountability and responsibility
Social and environmental issues

Articles that will be proposed during the course

An intermediate assignment to be performed during the lectures and a final group presentation

Frontal lesson and group discussion

The contents and the objectives of the course might be adapted to students' background

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development