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AI Personhood, Social Justice, and Cross-Cultural Dialogues in the Digital Age
Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:33:35
Abstract
The course fosters critical, culturally conscious reflection on AI regulation by 1)exploring cross-cultural assessment of the concept of personhood & responsibility in digital society and how these concepts are reflected in AI development and regulation.2)inspiring reflection on social justice issues stemming from (mis)conceptions of personhood & responsibility in AI development and governance.
Objective
• Differentiate various concepts of personhood and responsibility in digital societies • Critically evaluate emerging regulations in the field of AI (with focus on the EU AI Act) • Examine the implications of these regulatory frameworks and their conception of personhood and responsibility for the AI-human future • Develop creative & culturally conscious analytical skill on issues of social justice related to AI systems
Content
On 13 March 2024, the European Parliament voted in favour of the long-awaited EU AI Act. On October 30, 2023, the US passed an Executive Order on the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of AI. Meanwhile, China has been adopting regulations: the 2021 regulation on recommendation algorithms, 2022 rules for deep synthesis (synthetically generated content), and draft rules on generative AI on August 15, 2023. In the face of this race to develop and regulate AI across various legal, regulatory, and cultural settings, this course exposes students to the overarching question: How can we envision an AI-human future that accommodates a pluriverse and ensures a just future? In everyday life, from education, policy deliberation, planning and prediction, governance of the human behavior and the beyond human, to social and private life, and entertainments, AI systems and AI-enabled products/services play a significant role. At the very center of this sociotechnical system is the human, often referred to as the ‘data subject’. This raises foundational questions: Who or what is this 'data subject'? What warrants its protection or what makes it worthy of protection – is it the human dignity, autonomy, rationality, legally protected rights or something beyond and within all these? Who/what is considered a protected 'data subject', and who/what is not? While these questions might seem new, they revisit old ethical dilemmas. However, there is no one-fits-all answer to these questions. Responses vary greatly depending on local and cultural contexts across different jurisdictions and societies. The way AI development and regulatory practices conceptualise the subject of protection – that is, the human and its environ diverges, leading to varied interpretations of personhood and what warrants protection. What personhood means and what is protected and not are not only matters of policy or legislative interpretations and standardisation but a matter of social justice and hence, a question of legal, moral and political responsibility. With this consideration, the course invites and encourages students to explore the concept of personhood and responsibility from a cross-cultural perspective, incorporating epistemologies from the ‘South’, including Afro-communitarianism, pluriverse theories, and Confucianism. Students are then guided to critically examine personhood and community within the context of competing AI regulatory frameworks, such as those in the EU, China, Brazil, and the US, as well as in their own interactions with AI systems. By identifying conceptual limitations in current understandings of personhood and the centrality of the collective within contemporary AI regulation and practice, students can address core social justice issues. These include the overemphasis on individualism, which overlooks the communal and relational aspects of existence, the instrumentalisation of the environment, and exploitative business models.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS , MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 50
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | AI Personhood, Social Justice, and Cross-Cultural Dialogues in the Digital Age |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Wissenschaft im Kontext (Science in Perspective) (In Kursen aus dem Programm “Wissenschaft im Kontext” lernen Studierende, die MINT Fächer der ETH aus der Perspektive der Geistes-, Sozial- und Staatswissenschaften zu reflektieren. Nur die in diesem Abschnitt aufgelisteten Fächer können als "Wissenschaft im Kontext" angerechnet werden.)
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Typ A: Förderung allgemeiner Reflexionskompetenz (WiK-Kurse werden für Bachelorstudierende nach dem ersten Studienjahr sowie für alle Masterstudierende und Doktorierende empfohlen. Alle WiK-Kurse sind in Typ A gelistet. Bei den unter Typ B aufgeführten Kursen handelt es sich lediglich um Belegungsempfehlungen für bestimmte Departemente.)
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