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SOC41130

Academic Year 2026/2027

AI and Society (SOC41130)

Subject:
Sociology
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Sociology
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr David Anzola
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Generative artificial intelligence is spearheading a major digital revolution that some believe could completely reshape the way we live. In 'AI & Society', we will collaboratively address this belief, seeking to separate the real from the fictional, the discursive from the descriptive, and the current from the aspirational. By exploring the technological, social, political, and economic drivers and implications of the growing popularisation of generative artificial intelligence, you will gain a broad understanding of the social dynamics that enable and constrain scientific and technological change. Using a multidisciplinary lens and a variety of academic and non-academic resources, we will, first, unveil AI’s connections with other technologies and their supporting digital infrastructure, and, second, bring to the fore issues of data paucity and reliability, technological asymmetries and inequalities, environmental impact, the politics and ethics of technology, intellectual property and regulation, monetisation, and design. Throughout the sessions, several scenarios will provide the background against which we will critically analyse and reflect on AI’s capacity to deliver on its promise to radically change the human experience.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Identify technological developments supporting the current generative AI revolution.
• Explain the social dimension of technical and technological change.
• Analyse different contexts of application of AI technologies.
• Critically assess the potential and limits of current AI systems.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

80
Autonomous Student Learning

180
Lectures

24
Total

284

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Active/task-based learning
Peer and group work
Lectures
Critical writing
Reflective learning

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Written text critically analysing the input-output connection in an interaction with a chatbot. Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
60
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Continuous assessment including in- and out-of-class activities centred on the critical exploration of the interplay between AI and society.
Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 11:00 - 12:50
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