AI on AI and Society Course

Week 1: Fundamentals of AI

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Week 1: Fundamentals of AI

Focus: What is AI/ML? Brief history and overview

📚 Required Readings

Primary Readings

“Artificial Intelligence: A Brief History” (15 min read)
- Overview of AI development from symbolic AI to modern machine learning
- Key figures and pivotal moments in AI research
“What is Machine Learning?” (20 min read)
- Difference between AI and machine learning
- Supervised vs. unsupervised learning basics
- Real-world examples of ML applications

Supplementary Resources

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Artificial Intelligence (link) — Philosophical foundations
“A Very Short Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” — Excerpts (10 min)

💭 Discussion Prompts

Before class, consider these questions as you read:

AI and the Real World: Data, Power, & Society

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Under construction. Check back soon for updates!

AI and the Real World: Data, Power, & Society

📘 Course Description

This course explores the multifaceted relationships between artificial intelligence and contemporary society. Students examine AI’s applications, limitations, and implications across ethics, policy, economics, employment, and justice.

Assignments

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

📝 Course Assignments

This section contains all assignments, activities, and project milestones for the course. Assignments reinforce learning goals and build skills in analysis, communication, and critical thinking about AI and society.

📋 Assignment Overview

Week	Topic	Assignment	Due	Weight
1	Fundamentals of AI	Week 1 Assignment	End of Week 1	5%
2	AI Systems & Data	Week 2 Assignment	End of Week 2	5%
3	Ethics & Bias	Week 3 Assignment	End of Week 3	5%
4	Policy & Governance	Week 4 Assignment	End of Week 4	5%
5	Employment & Economics	Week 5 Assignment	End of Week 5	5%
6	AI in Society	Week 6 Assignment	End of Week 6	5%
7	Midterm Assessment	Midterm Exam	End of Week 7	20%
8	Case Studies	Week 8 Assignment	End of Week 8	5%
9	Emerging Issues	Week 9 Assignment	End of Week 9	5%
10	Autonomous Systems	Week 10 Assignment	End of Week 10	5%
11	Futures & Regulation	Week 11 Assignment	End of Week 11	5%
12	Final Project	Final Project	End of Week 12	20%

📌 Assignment Types

Weekly Reflections & Discussion Posts

Short reflection essays and discussion forum participation (5-10 minutes each).

Learning Goals

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Learning Goals

CMSE 492: AI in the Real World: Data, Power, and Society

The Philosophy

AI is not just a technical shift; it is a fundamental restructuring of labor, power, and knowledge. Most MSU graduates will not be training models, but they will be working alongside them. This course is designed to build critical thinking skills and a healthy skepticism by helping you develop the ability to use, evaluate, question, and push back on AI systems.

Resources

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

📚 Curated Resources

Key Organizations & Research Centers

AI Now Institute — Research on AI’s societal impacts
Partnership on AI — Collaborative platform for responsible AI
Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) — AI policy and safety
Stanford Internet Observatory — Tech policy research
Data & Society — Social implications of technology

Books (Recommended Reading)

Weapons of Math Destruction — Cathy O’Neil
Race After Technology — Ruha Benjamin
Artificial Unintelligence — Meredith Whittaker and Kate Crawford
The Ethical AI Handbook — Taddeo & Floridi
Surveillance Capitalism — Shoshana Zuboff

News & Commentary

Tools & Platforms for Exploration

TensorFlow Playground — Interactive ML learning
Fast.ai — Free deep learning courses
Kaggle — Datasets and competitions

Additional resources will be shared throughout the course. Check D2L for week-specific readings and materials.

Schedule

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🗓️ Weekly Schedule

Week	Topic	Readings	Assignments
1	Fundamentals of AI	Week 1 Readings	Reflection Essay
2	AI Systems & Data	Week 2 Readings	Data Analysis
3	Ethics & Bias	Week 3 Readings	Bias Case Study
4	Policy & Governance	Week 4 Readings	Policy Analysis
5	Employment & Economics	Week 5 Readings	Employment Analysis
6	AI in Society	Week 6 Readings	Domain Analysis
7	Midterm Review	Review Materials	Midterm Exam
8	Case Studies	Case Studies	Case Study Report
9	Emerging Issues	Privacy & Surveillance	Privacy Analysis
10	Autonomous Systems	Autonomous Systems	Risk Assessment
11	Futures & Regulation	AI Futures	Policy Proposal
12	Final Projects	Project Resources	Final Project

📚 Course Structure at a Glance

Each week includes:

Weekly Readings

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

📖 Weekly Reading Materials

This section contains reading materials for each week of the course. Each week includes:

Required readings — Essential materials to complete before class
Discussion prompts — Questions to guide your reading
Supplementary resources — Optional deeper dives into topics

📚 Reading Schedule

Week	Topic	Readings
1	Fundamentals of AI	Week 1 Readings
2	AI Systems & Data	Week 2 Readings
3	Ethics & Bias	Week 3 Readings
4	Policy & Governance	Week 4 Readings
5	Employment & Economics	Week 5 Readings
6	AI in Society	Week 6 Readings
7	Midterm Review	Week 7 Readings
8	Case Studies	Week 8 Readings
9	Emerging Issues	Week 9 Readings
10	Autonomous Systems	Week 10 Readings
11	Futures & Regulation	Week 11 Readings
12	Student Projects	Week 12 Readings

💡 How to Use These Materials

Before class: Review required readings and take notes
During discussion: Use discussion prompts to guide conversations
After class: Explore supplementary resources for deeper understanding

📌 Note: All readings are selected for accessibility and diverse perspectives. Contact your instructor if you need alternative formats.