99472 - ETHICS, LAW AND AI

Learning outcomes

The course provides students with the current range of ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) involved in the following areas: regulation of genetic testing, genomics research, genome editing, data privacy, practice of machine learning, data science and data protection raised by the deployment of artificial intelligence, Big Health Data and AI. After the course the student shall be able (1) to apply different critical thinking frameworks to identify ELSI issues in the data science context; (2) evaluate the impact of data-driven algorithms and technologies on people and society; (3) learn about methodological skills involved in the conduct of ELSI research, and related duties and responsibilities of professionals.

Course contents

The course will be divided into three parts.

Part 1: Fundamentals of normative ethics

The first part aims to provide the basic concepts of normative ethics, with an introduction to the main normative ethical theories (consequentialism, deontological ethics, social contract theories, virtue ethics).

Part 2: Ethics and ICT law

The second part aims to provide an in-depth overview of the many ethical and legal issues raised by information and communication technologies (ICT), with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and its impact on society, individuals, and research. In particular, the following topics will be addressed: fundamental principles of the GDPR; AI, Big Data, and Data Protection; AI and medical research: legal issues; Machine Learning, Big Health Data, and issues of bias and discrimination; explainability and transparency of artificial intelligence; AI and trust; evaluation of AI use cases; socio-technical scenarios; AI and responsibility in healthcare.

Part 3: Application profiles in healthcare and genetics

The third part aims to apply the knowledge provided in the first and second parts through the discussion of practical case studies in the context of genetic testing, genomic research, and genome editing.

Readings/Bibliography

Slides of the lessons, scientific articles, and supplementary teaching materials will be provided and made available on the Virtual Platform.

In addition, recommended texts covering each part of the course will be suggested during the lessons.

Teaching methods

The teaching approach will be dialogic and interactive: students will be involved in group discussions focused on the interpretation and discussion of relevant cases, ethical and legal responses, and social repercussions, also in relation to the interests and requests expressed by students in the classroom, in order to stimulate independent judgment and critical thinking.

Assessment methods

For all students, whether attending or not, the exam will be a written test if taken in the first exam session after the end of the course. In subsequent exam sessions, the exam will be oral only.

The written test consists of 31 multiple-choice questions covering the entire course content. Students who accept the written grade do not have to take the oral exam. If the exam is failed or the grade is rejected, the student will be required to take the exam in oral form in one of the subsequent exam sessions after the end of the course.

The oral exam consists of three or four questions on the entire course content.

The final grade for the written and oral exams will be based on the following criteria:

- Preparation on a very limited number of topics covered in the course and analytical skills that emerge only with the help of the instructor, expression in generally correct language → 18-19;

- Preparation on a limited number of topics covered in the course and independent analytical skills only on purely practical issues, expression in correct language → 20-24;

- Preparation on a wide range of topics covered in the course, ability to make independent critical analysis choices, mastery of specific terminology → 25-29;

- Substantially exhaustive preparation on the topics covered in the course, ability to make independent critical analysis and connection choices, full mastery of specific terminology and ability to argue → 30-30L.

Teaching tools

In addition to the recommended texts and relevant legal provisions for students, national and international/European cases on the subject will be presented during the lessons, with appropriate references for further study.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe Contissa

See the website of Federico Galli