The Philosophy of Technology and AI
UndergraduateMUR-PHL3022027
Course information for 2027 intake
Technology and AI raise deep questions about creativity and human identity. Weigh their ethical, social and philosophical effects. Consider what these technologies mean for the world we want to live in.
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- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 14 Feb 2027
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 15 weeks
- Start dates
- 22 Feb 2027
- Price from
- $2,257
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
The Philosophy of Technology and AI
About this subject
At the completion of this subject, students will be able to:
- Critically analyse concepts regarding technology and its relation to the natural world.
- Intepret the significance of technological challenges from a philosophical point of view.
- Research and develop a sustained argument regarding the philosophy of technology in written, verbal or other forms, applying ethical and other conventions of the discipline.
- Engage effectively and ethically with the ideas of others to present a well-argued opinion.
- Introduction to Philosophy of Technology
- The Extended Mind Thesis: Where does your mind end and where does your smartphone begin?
- Mind uploading: Could we ever transfer our mind to a computer?
- Mind Uploading: Maybe not (critical voices)
- Freedom in an age of algocracy
- Algocracy and democratic participation: The power of algorithms in the political sphere
- Algorithmic Injustice and Equality
- Algorithmic Injustice and Fairness
- Can AI Create Art?
- AI, art and meaning: What is different about AI-generated art and does it matter?
- Authorship, AI-Art and Creativity
Pioneering technological inventions open a world of possibilities to us: should we embrace them or treat them with caution? Do artificial intelligences diminish our humanity or enhance it? Can machines really ‘learn’ and algorithms be ‘creative’? These and many other questions are addressed in this subject, which covers an emerging sub-field in philosophy: the study of the nature of technology and its social effects. Students will engage with ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical questions raised by certain technological developments that seem at once to give us increasing control over nature, and yet, at the same time, seem to take us further away from what is natural. In the face of unprecedented possibilities for technological interventions in our lives, it is crucial that we know what kind of world we want to live in and, ultimately, who we are.
Please Note: All students studying at Murdoch University will need to complete the compulsory unit, Murdoch Academic Passport (MAP100), which only takes 2-3 hours to complete online. Find out more: http://goto.murdoch.edu.au/MurdochAcademicPassport.
- Essay (35%)
- Quiz (30%)
- Opinion piece (35%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
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UndergraduateMUR-COM-DEG
UndergraduateMUR-BAR-DEG
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