Connection Topics

Overview

Connection topics is an umbrella term that refers to a set of activities, which will allow us to cover one of the big ideas of the course, interdependence, the idea that computational technology should be in service of human flourishing.

On November 30, 2022, Open AI brought ChatGPT to the world, which then became the fastest growing consumer application in the history of the internet. Where did this technology come from? How was it built? Who benefits from it and in what ways? Is it safe for humans and societies? What other similar technologies exist or are being developed? We want to discuss these questions together, so that you are well-informed before using them, as our AI-powered tools policy describes. ChatGPT is one instance of a family of technologies that are collectively known as generative AI. The evolution and the human and societal impact of such technologies is the focus of the connection topics this semester.

The activities in a connection topic include:

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