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UE Artificial Intelligence and societal transformation

ECUE's code : BMUIST1

Belong to 4 UE
EFELIA
Sciences de l'information et de la communication
Campus Saint Jean d'Angély
Master 1 , Master 2
Semestre impair
Anglais

PRESENTATION

Modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be seen as a series of advances in the fields of computer science, applied mathematics and statistics; however, as AI is increasingly embedded into software and products and is enabled by the availability of data and complex hardware technologies, it becomes the engine of profound changes in the way our societies and economies work. As with previous technological breakthroughs, the societal transformations they produce can be identified, unpacked, and put in context.

This course will provide you with the tools to do that. The contents are organized as follows. Lecture 1 will introduce AI and its enabling technology and compare it with received theories of radical technological change. Lectures 2, 3, and 4 will guide you through the details of the techniques and models that are the backbone of AI solutions. Combining explanations and guided hands-on tasks, you will dissect how neural networks work and learn the foundations of natural language processing and generative AI. You will also discuss their application to prediction and decision-making. Finally, lectures 5 and 6 will returns to a “bird’s-eye view” to introduce the structure of the AI industry, its business model, and what AI adoption implies in terms of re-organisation of labor and production. We will also explore what are the societal costs we are bearing while developing such transformational innovation — in terms of new inequalities, risks for democracy, and environmental toll.

Cover image: IceMing & Digit / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Course's manager(s)

In class

PREREQUISITES

Before the start of the course, I must ...
  • There are no pre-requisites to attend the course, but: (i) some minimal understanding of economic concepts and (ii) enthusiasm for the topic and for learning are very welcome!

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course, I should be able to...
  • Explain key aspects of artificial intelligence as a technology,
  • demonstrate critical awareness of current issues in artificial intelligence development
  • Explore artificial intelligence applications and discuss their impact on economic dynamics, business models, work, and science

CONTENT

  • AI and technological breakthroughs; AI from a system perspective: software, hardware, data

  • Foundations: AI concepts, algorithms, ML in decision-making

  • Machine learning in economics & business: prediction, optimization, market applications

  • Towards generative AI in economics: innovation, productivity, and transformative dynamics

  • AI and its impact on the economy, business models, industrial dynamics, employment

  • The societal and environmental costs of AI: dual uses, ethics, and unintended consequences; Policy and geopolitics of AI

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Important
This syllabus has no contractual value. Its content is subject to change throughout this year: be aware to the last updates