September 29, 2026
Will AI become superintelligent? Would superintelligent AI take care of us? Or would it become evil and kill us all? The professors who designed the University of Utah’s new AI Ethics class think that is only one of many worries—and some of the other ones are affecting us right now.
As artificial intelligence grows rapidly and becomes more embedded in the technologies and systems that affect us every day, U students wonder what it all means for their future—and this class has arrived at precisely the right time. Coming out of the One-U Responsible AI Initiative (One-U RAI) and co-developed by faculty fellow and associate professor of philosophy C. Thi Nguyen and Kahlert School of Computing professor Jeff Phillips—a member of the One-U RAI Faculty Engagement Committee—this class will help future students navigate ethical questions around AI design, regulation and use.