Course Description:

Language technologies - large language models, chatbots, AI, whatever you want to call them - are becoming ever-more ubiquitous. In this course we will examine the bi-directional relationship between language technology and society. On one hand, these technologies are a product of society. They are mirrors that reflect the humans on whose language they are trained, for good and for ill. They can at times perform surprising feats of apparent creativity or insight, but can also display critical limitations and perpetuate troubling social biases. On the other hand, the reverse is also true - society is increasingly influenced by language technology. Human languages, behavior, and experience are changing as these technologies become more pervasive. Real potential has been demonstrated for impactful applications of language technologies that can address social issues and improve people's lives; at the same time, real concerns have been raised about impacts on privacy, jobs, mental health, and the environment. 

The content of this course will be focused on three key goals. First, we will aim to demystify language technologies by achieving a basic conceptual understanding of how they work. Second, we will read contemporary research on language technology and society to see what we know about this complex relationship and what remains to be found out. Third, we will work intensively in small groups to develop public-facing projects that engage with real-world issues in this domain. Linguistic, social scientific, and technical experience can all contribute to success in the course, but no specific background is required.

Course Registration Info:

• CRN: 55056
• Day and Time: Tuesday/Thursday 10:30 AM - 11:50 AM