We examine the rise of artificial intelligence (ai) from a political-economy perspective.
We will explore the parallels between age-old political questions of governance and human well-being and the current debates around ai governance (i.e., how do we minimize the risk that ai is weaponised by rogue actors?), and ai alignment (i.e., how do we ensure that ai acts in our interest as it evolves more capabilities?) Students will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the respective arguments in their case studies.
The seminar will be conducted in English.
The mandatory reading consists of a mix of classic political science texts and contemporary discussions around ai governance, some of the latter come in the form of OpEds, blog posts, or audio podcasts (all material in English).
Student requirements & testing:
– Attendance is recommended, not mandatory.
– All students can present in class or write a short (5-8-page) essay about one of our topics on the syllabus.
– Aufbaumodul 4 students are tested orally in groups of 3-4 at the end of the semester. The oral test will take approx. fifteen minutes, and the material will consist of (i) a short version of your seminar presentation followed by a few questions (in English); and (ii) test questions on the associated lecture 'Internationale Beziehungen und Global Governance' (in German).
Badge eligibility: Students who pass the oral exam are qualified to receive the Digital World 3 ("Digitale Welt 3") Badge for the Certificate Digital competencies for political scientists ("Digitale Kompetenzen für Politikwissenschaftler:innen; DigCompPol")
– Wahlpflicht students will be graded on their presentations or short essays (no oral exam, no Badge eligibility).
– Other students, such as exchange students, tend to be treated like Wahlpflicht students (i.e., graded presentation or short essay; no oral exam, no Badge). |
