Course explores our future with robots and AI

When scholars explore new ideas, it seems instinctive to share their thinking. Last year computer science professors Joseph Halpern and Bart Selman became co-principal investigators for a nationwide project to ensure that robots and artificial intelligences (AIs) will act in ways beneficial to humans. "We thought we should get undergrads involved in thinking about these ideas," Selman said. Thus was born a new course, CS 4732, Ethical and Social Issues in AI, about how robots and artificial intelligences may change our world, and what we ought to be doing about it. "These undergrads may be directly involved in developing the software behind these systems," Selman added, noting that many may go on to jobs with Google, Tesla and other major players.