AI, Ethics and Society

Birkbeck, University of London
Postgraduate MA Full-time 1 Year Computer sciencePhilosophy

About this course

Our new MA AI, Ethics and Society gives you the opportunity to explore a broad range of critical topics essential for understanding the complex interplay between artificial intelligence and society.

Why choose this course?

  • There is a growing demand for professionals capable both of navigating the ethical landscapes that these advancing technologies create and able to address the challenges they pose to contemporary businesses and society.

  • This course merges technical knowledge with philosophical and ethical insight, to prepare you to contribute positively to a world increasingly shaped by AI.

  • By integrating interdisciplinary methodologies from philosophy, law, social sciences and humanities, you will learn to navigate the ethical, societal and creative implications of AI.

    What you will learn

    This course is designed to equip you with a deep understanding of the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence technologies and societal values. The curriculum is crafted to address the decision-making processes of AI, emphasising fairness, biases, security risks and privacy concerns. It investigates how these technological advancements influence politics, personal relationships and societal structures across various domains.

    You will begin with core modules, in which you will:

  • gain an understanding of the history and development of AI

  • think about AI through an ethical lens to critically evaluate how and when to use AI and the associated pressures of doing so.

    Option modules give you the chance to explore the regulatory and theoretical challenges that new algorithmic technologies pose to the law. You can consider the concepts behind artificial general intelligence and gain hands-on experience with media production to examine issues like the risks of deepfakes, bias and effects on labour.

    How you will learn

    This MA AI, Ethics and Society is available to study full- or part-time with classes taking place in the evening. Lectures will introduce you to complex concepts and theories, while seminars will develop your deeper understanding of these through discussions, group work and practical exercises.

    Highlights

  • You will study at our Bloomsbury campus in the heart of London, a city fast becoming one of the major European hubs for AI research and development.

  • Birkbeck is a leading centre for philosophical research in the UK. All of our established members of academic staff are active researchers, and our excellence in both teaching and research is consistently reflected in UK and international surveys.

  • We have a specialist philosophy library at 30 Russell Square. The main philosophy collection is held in the Birkbeck Library, which has an extensive range of books and online resources.

  • We are a member of the University of London’s Institute of Philosophy. Our students therefore belong to a large, intercollegiate community of philosophers, and are welcome at a range of seminars, lectures, talks and conferences.

  • In law, we have a proud tradition of critical scholarship and address issues of law through power and inequality led by principles of social, economic, political, environmental and racial justice.

    Careers and employability

    On successfully graduating from this MA you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

  • applying theories and frameworks to real-world scenarios

  • developing and critiquing policies

  • critical thinking

  • debating and discussing complex ideas

  • effective communication.

    Graduates from this course will be equipped to follow career paths in a wide range of roles, including in:

  • management

  • research and academia

  • analytics

  • law.

    • Study Options

    This course is available in 2 study options:

    Full-time Shown above

    Duration: 1 Year

    Qualification: MA

    Location: London

    Part-time

    Duration: 2 Years

    Qualification: MA

    Location: London

    Career Prospects

    Graduates from this course typically go into the following occupations:

    2139 Information technology professionals
    2134 Programmers and software development professionals
    2133 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers
    2433 Actuaries, economists and statisticians
    2136 IT quality and testing professionals
    4135 Library clerks and assistants

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    Course Details

    Qualification
    MA
    Study Mode
    Full-time
    Duration
    1 Year
    Start Date
    2025
    Academic Year
    2025
    Campus / Location
    London
    Scheme
    Postgraduate
    Subjects
    Computer science, Philosophy

    Offered by

    Birkbeck, University of London

    London

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