Honors 360
Sections 005 & 006

Course Schedule

The schedule of readings will almost certainly change during the course of the semester, depending on the interests in the class. We may not discuss all readings in class, but you should be prepared to discuss the readings if and when they come up in class discussions.

Week 1 (Jan 21 – 26): Course Introduction and Concepts
Turing, "Computing Machinery and Intelligence"
Discussion Post 1 (Introductions)

Week 2 (Jan 27 – Feb 2): The Six Stages
Kurzweil Intro and Chapter 1
Groups form
Preliminary Essay due Sunday Feb 2

Week 3 (Feb 3 – Feb 9): Reinventing Intelligence
Kurzweil Chapter 2 up to "What Does AI Still Need to Achieve?"(54)
Topic: Deep Learning

Week 4 (Feb 10 – 16): The Brain
Finish Kurzweil chapter 2
Topic: Neuroscience

Week 5 (Feb 17 – 23): Stochastic Parrots
Bender, et al.
Topic: Limits of AI

Week 6 (Feb 24 – March 2): Consciousness
Kurzweil Chap 3 up to "Determinism, Emergence, and the Free Will Dilemma" (82)
Chalmers, IIT
Topic: Consciousness

Week 7 (March 3 – 9): Determinism and Emergence
Finish Kurzweil Chap 3
Cellular automata
Topic: Emergence

Week 8: (March 10 – 16): Spring Break

Week 9 (March 17 – 23): Artificial You
Schneider chapters 1–4
Topic: Mind Design

Week 10 (March 24 – 30): Artificial You
Schneider Chapters 5 – 8 and Conclusion
Topic: Self/Identity

Week 11 (March 31 – April 6): Exponential Improvements
Kurzweil Chap 4 up to "We Are Now Entering the Steep Part of the Exponential" (164)
Topic: Social Effects of AI

Week 12 (April 7 – 13): Environment
Continue Ch 4
Topic: Environmental Effects of AI

Week 13 (April 14 – 20): The Future of Work
Kurzweil Chap 5
Topic: The Future of Work

Week 14 (April 21 – 27): Health and Medicine
Kurzweil Chap 6
Topic: Biotech
Zotero Group Libraries should be complete

Week 15 (April 28 – May 4)
Kurzweil Chap 7
Topic: AI Safety
Asilomar Principles on Genetics
Asilomar Principles on AI

Final Paper due Thursday May 8

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