As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into education, workplaces, public services, and everyday life, understanding its ethical implications is more important than ever. This Fall 2026, the Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences is offering The Ethics of AI, taught by Dr. CoCo Massengale. The online asynchronous course invites students to critically examine both generative and predictive AI through the lens of ethics and society. Rather than focusing only on how AI works, students will explore its broader impact on labor, equity, automation, environmental sustainability, and civic life. Throughout the course, students will engage with timely questions such as:
Who bears the environmental cost of building AI at scale?
What happens when algorithms govern courts, public benefits, and public services?
Is AI making us worse at thinking, or helping us think differently?
Designed for professionals and curious citizens alike, the course encourages thoughtful discussion about the technologies that increasingly shape our lives and institutions.
Course Information
Course: The Ethics of AI
Instructor: Dr. CoCo Massengale
Courses: ITLS 5700 (Undergraduate) and ITLS 6700 (Graduate)
Format: Online Asynchronous
Semester: Fall 2026