CS309: Essentials of AI for Life and Society

Pre-Class Modules

Students in the class were required to complete pre-class modules consisting of readings, podcasts, and videos. The readings and podcasts are linked below. We hope to release the videos soon. Students commented on the readings using Perusall, and submitted a written reflection each week by Tuesday evening. The TAs synthesized all this material to suggest topics for the professor to cover in class on Thursday.

For the material that was covered in class, see the "Live Class Sessions" tab.

Date	Content
Week 1	Introduction Readings: Op-ed with Peter Stone Podcasts: What is AI, Anyway? - Peter Stone, AI for the Rest of Us Podcast Videos: Ethics in AI: An Introduction Week 1 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 2	AI and Society Readings: The One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence (AI100) AI100 Glossary Videos: AI100: Introduction AI100: Standing Questions 1-5 AI100: Standing Questions 6-8 AI100: Standing Questions 9-12 AI100: Workshop Questions Ethics in AI: An Overview Week 2 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 3	Planning and Search Readings: Planning Algorithms Introduction - Steven M. LaValle : Chapter 1 Videos: Search and Classical Planning Adversarial Planning Autonomous Vehicles Ethics in AI: Human Values and Values-sensitive Design Week 3 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 4	Intelligent Robotics Readings: A.I. Begins Ushering in an Age of Killer Robots - Paul Mozur and Adam Satariano, New York Times How Robots Work - Tom Harris & Chris Pollette Three Laws of Robotics - Rodney Brooks Videos: Intelligent Robotics Introduction How Do Robots Sense Their Environment? How Do Robots Interact with their Environment? Ethics in AI: Codes of Ethics Robot and Frank Clips Week 4 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 5	Probabilistic Modeling Readings: AI, A Modern Approach - Stuart J. Russell and Peter Norvig : Chapter 13.2 & 13.2 Humans Have Innate Grasp of Probability - Ewen Callaway How Randomness Rules Our World and Why We Cannot See It - Michael Shermer Videos: Introduction to Probability Basics of Probability Bayes Rule Probabilistic AI Ethics in AI: Guidelines Week 5 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 6	Computer Vision Pre-Class Reflection Prompt Readings: Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications - Richard Szeliski : p.1-10 Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Computer Vision - Ilija Mihajlovic Videos: Introduction to Computer Vision Challenges in Computer Vision Where Are We Now? What's the Next Frontier? Egocentric Video and Ego4D First-person Vision: Examples in Research Week 6 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 7	Machine Learning Fundamentals Readings: A Non-Technical Introduction to AI: Part 1 - Manu Mulaveesala Understanding Machine Learning From Theory to Algorithms - Shalev-Shwartz & Ben-David : Sections 2.1-2.3 Videos: Machine Learning Fundamentals Functions Validation Sets and Generalization Gaps Regression and Questions for Thought Week 7 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 8	Machine Learning Paradigms Readings: The Five Tribes of Machine Learning: A Brief Overview - Jens Pohl Videos: Supervised Categorization Symbolic Rule-Based Approach Bayesian Probabalistic Neural Network Evolutionary/Genetic Algorithms Analogical/Instance-based Approach Alternative Types of Machine Learning Week 8 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 9	Natural Language Processing (Large Language Models) Readings: The Full Story of Large Language Models and RLHF - Marco Ramponi ChatGPT Is a Blurry JPEG of the Web - Ted Chiang Can LLMs Really Reason and Plan? - Subbarao Kambhampati TruthfulQA: Measuring How Models Mimic Human Falsehoods - Lin, Hilton, Evans : Sections 1, 2 (p. 1-5) Marked Personas - Cheng, Durmus, Jurafsky : Abstract, Section 1 (p. 1-2); Sections 1, 2 (p. 1-5) Videos: Introduction to Language Modeling: Google Translate to ChatGPT The Core Technology Behind LMs Societal Impacts Week 9 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 10	Bias and Fairness in AI Models Readings: A Framework for Understanding Sources of Harm throughout the Machine Learning Life Cycle - Suresh, Guttag Machine Bias - Julia Angwin, Jeff Larson, Surya Mattu and Lauren Kirchner Videos: How are Bias and Systemic Inequities Expressed in AI (and Why Should We Care?) What Factors Contribute to Bias and Systemic Inequities in AI? What Kinds of Techniques are Being Developed to Mitigate Bias/Inequities in AI? Week 10 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 11	AI and Mis/disinformation Readings: Disinformation Researchers Raise Alarms About AI Chatbots - Tiffany Hsu and Stuart A. Thompson Election Disinformation Takes a Big Leap with AI Being Used to Deceive Worldwide - Ali Swenson and Kelvin Chan The State of Human-Centered NLP Technology for Fact-Checking - Das, Liu, Kovatchev, Lease : Abstract; Sections 1-4 and 6 Videos: Types of Information Fact Checking Transparency in AI-based Fact Checking: Claim Checker Fairness How Generative AI is Affecting Politics Information Literacy and Regulation Week 11 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 12	Workplace Impacts, Economics, and Policy Readings: The Turing Trap: The Promise & Peril of Human-Like Artificial Intelligence - Erik Brynjolfsson How Hard Will the Robots Make Us Work? - Josh Dzieza California Governor Vetoes Contentious AI Safety Bill - David Shepardson and Anna Tong Will Generative AI Create a Break in the Impenetrable Wall That Is Section 230? - Tony Phillips and Jaria Martin Videos: Industrial Revolutions and How AI is Changing Work New Jobs, Key Workplace Skills, Predictions about AI and the Economy Policies, Regulation, and Governance Week 12 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 13	AI Alignment and Existential Threats Readings: AI Detectors Falsely Accuse Students of Cheating—With Big Consequences - Jackie Davalos and Leon Yin Foundational Challenges in Assuring Alignment and Safety of Large Language Models - Anwar et. al : Section 1, Section 2: intro, Section 3: intro, 3.1 and 3.2, Section 3: 3.5, 3.6, Section 4: intro Reward (Mis)design for Autonomous Driving - Knox et. al : Abstract + Sections 1 - 3 (p. 1-4) Why the Future Doesn't Need Us - Bill Joy : Read from start until the "My life has been driven..." paragraph, continue on the "Freeman Dyson summarized..." paragraph up until the "And yet I believe..." paragraph Videos: Introduction to AI Safety and Breaking CAPTCHA The Attribution Problem The Solutions to the Attribution Problem and an Introduction to Watermarking The Process of Watermarking and its Challenges Why Hasn't Watermarking Been Deployed? Week 13 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt
Week 14	Computational Foundations and Future Directions Readings: AI, A Modern Approach - Stuart J. Russell and Peter Norvig (Chapter 26) Computing Machinery and Intelligence - Alan Turing Now, Later, and Lasting: 10 Priorities for AI Research, Policy, and Practice - Eric Horvitz, Vincent Conitzer, Sheila McIlraith, and Peter Stone Videos: The History of AI The History of Computing What Can Computers Do? Future Outlook Week 14 Pre-Class Reflection Prompt

Pre-Class Modules

Introduction

AI and Society

Planning and Search

Intelligent Robotics

Probabilistic Modeling

Computer Vision

Machine Learning Fundamentals

Machine Learning Paradigms

Natural Language Processing (Large Language Models)

Bias and Fairness in AI Models

AI and Mis/disinformation

Workplace Impacts, Economics, and Policy

AI Alignment and Existential Threats

Computational Foundations and Future Directions