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CCAI9004 Artificial Intelligence
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Course Description
Capable machine learning systems will shape the future landscape of achievement, both in technical domains such as science and in creative domains such as art. Moreover, there are particular reasons for thinking that artificial intelligence (AI) will reshape large parts of human social and economic behaviour. These facts motivate a series of important questions. How do artificial achievements affect human beings’ ability to flourish? Will artificial achievement and creativity displace human achievement and creativity? What can we do to ensure a future where all humans are able to develop and exercise the capacities that enable them to live flourishing, meaningful lives? How will AI revolutionize economic achievement? What are the implications for economic inequality and social mobility? How will AI redefine social achievements and relationships? What are the potential benefits and risks of AI-mediated communication? This course aims to equip students with the tools for thinking clearly about these and other important questions about the widespread effects of capable machine learning systems on human beings’ ability to live flourishing lives.
Course Learning Outcomes
On completing the course, students will be able to:
- Critically analyze the impact of AI achievements on various aspects of society, including economic, social, political, cultural, and ethical dimensions.
- Evaluate the potential benefits and risks associated with AI advancements, demonstrating an understanding of the complexities and interconnectedness of these issues.
- Develop the ability to engage in informed and nuanced discussions about the ethical implications of AI, considering diverse perspectives and cultural contexts.
- Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to assess the potential impact of AI on specific areas of interest, such as the workplace, education, or healthcare.
- Collaborate effectively in a group setting to critically evaluate the ethical implications of an AI application, considering its potential effects on human flourishing, and present a reasoned position.
Offer Semester and Day of Teaching
First semester (Wed)
Study Load
| Activities | Number of hours |
| Lectures | 24 |
| Tutorials | 10 |
| Reading / Self-study | 50 |
| Assessment: Essay / Report writing | 20 |
| Assessment: Presentation (incl preparation) | 10 |
| Assessment: Group project | 10 |
| Total: | 124 |
Assessment: 100% coursework
| Assessment Tasks | Weighting |
| In-class participation and discussions | 25 |
| Debates | 25 |
| Mid-term test | 25 |
| Final test | 25 |
Required Reading
Week 1 — Introduction
- Danaher, J. (2019). Automation and Utopia: Human Flourishing in a World Without Work. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Chap. 1]
Week 2 — AI and the Economy: How and What
- Danaher, J. (2019). Automation and Utopia: Human Flourishing in a World Without Work. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Chaps. 2–3]
Week 3 — Responses to Economic Disruption, Part 1
- Danaher, J. (2019). Automation and Utopia: Human Flourishing in a World Without Work. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Chap. 4]
Week 4 — Responses to Economic Disruption, Part 2: The Problem of Good Work
- Brixel, P. (2024). The Difficulty of Making Good Work Available to All. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 41(2).
Week 5 — Responses to Economic Disruption, Part 3: The Duty and Desire to Work
- Cholbi, M. (2018). The Duty to Work,” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 21(5), 1119–1133.
- Cholbi, M. (2018). The Desire for Work as an Adaptive Preference. Autonomy, 4, 1–17.
Week 7 — AI and Human Capacities, Part 1: Creativity
- Brainard, L. (2026). What is Creativity? The Philosophical Quarterly, 76(1), 51–73.
- Brainard, L. (Forthcoming). Artificial Intelligence and the Threat of Creative Obsolescence. Ergo: An Open Access Journal of Philosophy.
Week 8 — AI and Human Capacities, Part 2: Cognitive Enfeeblement
- Sharadin, N. (Forthcoming). Extreme Cognitive Assistance and Open Futures. Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy.
Week 9 — AI and Human Capacities, Part 3: Sociality
- Campbell, S. M., Liu, P., & Nyholm, S. (2025). Can Chatbots Preserve Our Relationships with the Dead? Journal of the American Philosophical Association.
Week 10 — AI Safety: Could AI End Human Flourishing Altogether?
- Bales, A. (2024). D’Alessandro, W., & Kirk-Giannini, C. D. (2024). Artificial Intelligence: Arguments for Catastrophic Risk. Philosophy Compass, 19(2).
- Ord, T. (2020). The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity. New York: Hachette Books. [Chap. 2]
Course Co-ordinator and Teacher(s)
| Course Co-ordinator | Contact |
| Professor N.P. Sharadin School of Humanities (Philosophy), Faculty of Arts |
Tel: 3917 2796 Email: sharadin@hku.hk |
| Teacher(s) | Contact |
| Professor N.P. Sharadin School of Humanities (Philosophy), Faculty of Arts |
Tel: 3917 2796 Email: sharadin@hku.hk |