FYS 164:
Issues in Artificial Intelligence (Fall 2011)

An introduction to several current issues in the area of Artificial Intelligence, and their potential future impact on society. We start by exploring the nature of intelligent behavior through the Turing Test and the Chinese Room argument. Deep philosophical questions are explored through the increasingly sophisticated game-playing capabilities of computers: checkers, chess, go. Next we turn to language: the challenges of machine translation, text-to-speech, and speech understanding.  Then we investigate learning and discovery by computers, especially through neural networks, and genetic algorithms. Finally we explore robotics, from Roomba to autonomous vehicles. Here there are serious implications for labor (explored through the prediction of a technological “singularity”) as well as deep ethical issues. 

Prerequisites: Fluency with computers, including basic Web searching skills. Four years of high school mathematics recommended. No programming experience necessary. 

My goals are four-fold. First, to explain how the various past and current efforts in AI work technically. Second, to facilitate students thinking deeply about the philosophical, social, and ethical implications of AI. Third, to develop several of the skills students will need throughout their college career: writing, critical thinking, conveying ideas to peers, using Moodle, posting to a blog, etc. Fourth, writing, already listed as a skill, but this is a writing-intensive course, and there will be explicit focus on writing, from commas to grammar to sentences to paragraphs to essay structure.

Links:   Syllabus  —  aiblog  —  Moodle

Outline

1. History of AI; Philosophy of AI
   • The Turing Test
   • Chinese Room argument
2. Games and Search
   • Game programs: chess, checkers, go.
   • Game tree search
   • Puzzle solving
3. Natural Language Understanding
   • Lenat & CYC
   • Speech Understanding
   • Text-to-Speech
   • Watson & Jeopardy
4. Learning, Discovery, Creativity
   • Neural networks
   • Genetic algorithms
   • Discovery algorithms
   • Creativity: Art & Music
5. Robotics
   • Insectoid robotics
   • RoboSoccer
   • Neural implants
   • Autonomous vehicles
6. Future
   • Singularity?

Day-to-day syllabus at link above.

Course Mechanics

The course will rely on Papers, Readings, and Blog writing.

Papers: This is a writing-intensive course. Students will write five papers throughout the semester, totalling 15 pages. Two of these papers will be submitted in draft, revised, and resubmitted. More details are only the Syllabus. There will be no tests or exams. The last paper is due the last day of exam period.

Readings: There is no textbook for the class, but I have prepared a set of readings, from which I will select nearly weekly readings. All of the readings are [or at least, will be!] accessible (for free) via the Moodle site for this class. The readings vary from historical (starting with Turing's seminal 1950 paper) to contemporary newpaper articles. The readings are inevitably sometimes technical, but I will prepare you for them in advance. The readings are grouped into ten collections. Nearly each week I'll select from the readings, which should always be read by the first class (Tuesday) of the relevant week.

Blog Writing

1. Before Tuesday's class (@9:00AM), formulate one question, either a question to help clarify an aspect of the reading, or a question inspired by the reading. These questions must be written and posted to the class blog before Tuesday's class. They should be clearly formulated. You will read your question outloud to the class and the class will try to answer it.
2. During Thursday's class (most Thursdays), you will write a "reaction" to the reading (and ensuing class discussion). These will be posted to the class blog before the end of class. Length should be approximately 250 words, i.e., a few paragraphs. The reaction can summarize a point you find interesting, it can reflect a disagreement with the reading, you can key off the Questions posted to the blog (not just your question—anyone's: we all learn from one another), our class discussion, or it can go off in a direction inspired by the reading. You may draw upon other sources, but that is not expected. These reactions paragraphs can form drafts for your papers.
3. Either during Thursday's class or on your own time, you will post a comment to another student's reaction on the previous week's reading, using the blog's Comment facility, which will attach your comment directly to your classmate's reaction. Each week I'll shuffle who comments on whose reactions. This is a peer-review exercise. You should address both the writing clarity, with constructive suggestions for improvement, and the intellectual content. Be respectful but helpful.

The Blog writing is intended to be "low-stakes" writing, and I will only evaluate it as done (appropriately) on time or not. A 1/0 grade for each.

Grading

Web Pages

FacePage (for students in the class)