HUMAN Course Offerings

Academics / HUMAN Grant / HUMAN Course Offerings

The courses below are supported by the HUMAN Grant for the 2025-2026 academic year.

First Year Studies courses

FIYS 115: Climate Change Across Disciplines

Todd Beer

This course explores arguably the most pressing issue of our time: climate change. While we examine the fundamental physical science of global warming, the focus is on the social, cultural, political, economic, ethical, and psychological perspectives of climate change. Through this variety of disciplinary lenses, we critically examine the predicted and current consequences of climate change and how it impacts groups of people here and around the world. Our analysis includes the global, national, and local political efforts made to address and, for some, deny the problem. We will also explore both the consequences of AI's growing impact on our energy sector and AI's potential to help us solve the climate crisis. The class examines how our society is generating the problem and if technological advancement is enough to solve it or if greater social/political change is necessary.

FIYS 116: Reimagining the Stage: AI and the Performing Arts

Bob Knuth

This course explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and the performing arts. Students examine the potential of AI as a creative tool, analyzing its applications in areas such as playwriting, design, marketing and virtual reality performances. The course delves into the ethical implications of AI, including its impact on human creativity and the future of the industry. Through a combination of conceptual analysis, practical experimentation, and critical discussion, students develop a nuanced understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented by AI in the performing arts.

FIYS 121: Photographic Modernis

Maggie Hazard

This course focuses on the histories and theories of photography from roughly 1890 to 1945 (the modernist period). Using primary and secondary sources class discussions, exercises, and writing assignments the course considers the innovations of the photographic medium as well as the ways in which photography intersects with cultural and social ideas and technologies of the period. Through the work of modernist photographers from Alfred Stieglitz to Henri Cartier-Bresson, we explore the social and cultural impact of photography and the many ways in which photographic material frames and helps us to understand the world historically and today. This course interrogates issues surrounding the development of AI technology relative to historic photographs, including the ethics of photographic production, manipulation, and dissemination using AI. AI specific discussions might include the use of AI technology on photographs, the practice of manipulating historic photographs with AI technology, and creating AI images that purport to be from time periods well before this technology existed.

FIYS 126: Becoming Human in the Age of AI

Aaron Greenberg

Becoming Human in the Age of AI: As artificial intelligence advances, the boundaries between human and machine blur, challenging our understanding of what it means to be human. This course explores cultural, ethical, and philosophical questions around AI, drawing on Western, Indigenous, African, Asian, and other perspectives to examine human identity, creativity, work, and the environment in an AI-driven world. Through global case studies and ethical frameworks, students investigate how diverse cultural traditions shape approaches to AI’s impact on privacy, intellectual property, and sustainability. Engaging with AI’s real-world applications in various cultural settings—such as Confucianism, Ubuntu, Indigenous movements for data sovereignty, and Japan’s AI-driven elder care—students gain a deeper, global perspective on humanity’s evolving relationship with intelligent technology.

FIYS 161: Narrative and Knowledge Production: Storytelling, Identity, and the Rhetorical Impact of Artificial Intelligence

Daniel Henke

Telling stories is a fundamental part of being human. We share stories of our families, friends, and experiences. We examine religious texts, myths, folklore, and the media for insight into ourselves and others. We create, share, and explore internal narratives to better make sense of the world. We engage with chatbots to conceptualize ontological concepts. However, the significance of storytelling is often undervalued in the world of academic knowledge production. In this class, we examine narrative and how it is used to offer legitimacy for our actions and beliefs. Moreover, we look closely at narrative’s relationship to knowledge production and how narrative is interwoven with facets of identity, such as race, gender, sexuality, social class, ability, and artificial intelligence. We read critical, feminist, working class, and queer theory and examine how writers from nondominant identities use narrative to articulate their own complex position in relation to education and culture. We examine artificial intelligence rhetoric and how advanced machines mimic and complicate the stories we tell ourselves and others. This course demonstrates that stories are both ubiquitous and integral in knowledge production and that they can both subvert and reinforce the status quo.

FIYS 189: Digital Dawn: Hum, Cyberspace & AI

Justin Kee

(Digital Dawn: Humanity, Cyberspace, and the Rise of Artificial Intelligence) This course explores the development of cyberspace, the migration of human activity to its digital platforms, and the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the “first intelligent creations” that reside entirely in a digital space. We will explore new and pressing questions about human identity and the necessary responses caused by AI's rapid advancement. The course will tackle the complexities arising from AI’s growing influence in the real world, including a range of emerging issues, regulatory concerns, and policy-making challenges. We will trace the historical trajectory of generative AI, from its science fiction roots to its connections to remix culture and social media. We will explore everything from advanced deep learning technologies to the creation of AI-generated content and the development of AI as a potential companion for humans. We will highlight the ethical challenges posed by these technologies, with emphasis on equal access to computational resources and inherent biases in AI datasets. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the First Year Studies requirement.)

FIYS 190: Effects of Social Media & AI

David Noskin

Facebook and Tumblr were all the rage in the mid 2010s. Today, it’s TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. Tomorrow, who knows? Just as fast as internet and social media platforms change, so too does our relationship with this technology. Are you as dependent on it as you were in high school? Can your mood change for the better after two minutes on your smartphone? In this course, we examine our social media use from a psychological, social, and ethical perspective. We study the rise of the internet in the 2000s, the effects it has had on teenagers and young adults of intersecting identities, and how we carry those impacts into adulthood. We explore how AI has transformed social media platforms, as algorithms use our data to personalize content but contribute to misinformation and increasing polarization. Ultimately, we work to figure out what it means to ensure that our use of social media and the internet is healthy and productive.

Course enhancements

Art 200: New Media Art and Design

Kimiko Matsumura

New media is at the cutting edge of the production of art and design. But what is it and how does it help shape visual cultures, and societies around the world? This course will take a humanistic, global approach to learning about this dynamic topic. Theories of new media help us understand the technological and information revolution. Art and new media have become integral parts of our changing societies. Theoretical, practical, and cultural ideas such as Postmodernism, the Anthropocene, and Post-humanism are examples of ways to understand the influence of New Media in our world.

ENTP 260: Developing, Protecting and Monetizing Intellectual Property in the Age of AI

Gary Johnson

How does one protect an idea or invention? This course provides the foundations for protecting innovations and inventions (intangible assets) and monetizing those through the sale or license of the asset or through a new venture created to market the asset. Students explore the financial and social impact of each path from the perspective of the creator. Students examine topics such as the ethical and human challenges facing intellectual law and regulation in the age of artificial intelligence (including questions of data bias social impact). This course is taught through case studies, reading, client or student projects, and exposure to industry professionals. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

JOUR 120: Introduction to Journalism

Pamela Ferdinand

Introduction to Journalism presents students with the skills and information that are essential for reliable, accurate, and independent news reporting. This course addresses the fundamental skills associated with journalistic writing and presents students with the essential issues facing journalism today. In addition to writing, this course addresses the laws, ethics, and fundamentals of news literacy, with a keen focus on the critical thinking skills required for news judgment. This class will also address issues related to evolving AI technology, with a range of topics from ethics and bias to AI's potential impact on news production.

PHIL 222: The Humanist Ethics of AI

Justin Kee

(The Humanist Ethics of Artificial Intelligence) This course is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work effectively with AI in their future careers. It emphasizes the ethical development of AI, the advancement of technology in a manner that is equitable and just, and the importance of fostering meaningful collaborations between humans and AI systems. The curriculum delves into the relationship between AI and the humanistic tradition, drawing from interdisciplinary sources that focus on historical and practical questions, with a strong emphasis on ethics, justice, and fairness. The course explores questions of bias and safety in AI as those issues are connected to the humanist tradition. This course meets the Forester Fundamental technology skills requirement, and students directly use AI technology for a significant portion of their coursework.

PHIL 283: Philosophy of Intelligence

Roshni Patel

This course reflects on the nature of intelligence. What makes a being intelligent? What are the perceptual, analytical, responsive, adaptive, communicative, or other capacities that allow us to determine whether a being is intelligent? We study the possible intelligences of various types of beings, including plants, animals, creatures that exist in collectives, humans, super humans, computers, and networks of machines. We also reflect on the limitations that exist in our ability to determine whether another being is intelligent. Moreover, we consider the biases related to these questions: how does the obsession with intelligence affect our ability to value forms of life different from our own? How do our biases figure into our determinations of what is or is not intelligent? Finally, we consider questions that are becoming increasingly relevant with the acceleration of AI technology: is there an insuperable difference between intelligence in carbon-based natural beings and human-created machines? What sorts of ethical relationships exist between our intelligence and intelligences created by us? This study requires us to reflect on questions related to the philosophy of knowledge, science, disability, nature, morality, and technology. The course proceeds largely as a seminar with discussion focused on selected readings and course materials. No Prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Writing Intensive.)

2024-2025 course offerings

FIYS 164: Archaeology of Chicago

This course introduces the discipline of archaeology by exploring the city of Chicago, using it to discuss and to engage with the social complexity found in the urban U.S. Archaeology, a disciplinary subfield of anthropology, considers the material traces of human behaviors. Historical archaeological research looks at the complex interrelation of materiality with the documentary record, revealing everyday experiences and social relations and can challenge dominant narratives. Through the lens of archaeology, including recent AI-aided technologies for data visualization and reconstruction, we explore Chicago as a key site within a precontact trail system, its place as a multicultural fur trade entrepôt, the attention from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, and its current preeminence as a global city. Readings cover foundational concepts in archaeology; an introduction to historical archaeology; historical background on Chicago; and recent examples of analysis, interpretation, and broader dissemination through AI-aided technologies. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the First Year Studies requirement.)

FIYS 189: Digital Dawn: Humanity, Cyberspace, and the Rise of Artificial Intelligence

This course explores the development of cyberspace, the migration of human activity to its digital platforms, and the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the "first intelligent creations" that reside entirely in a digital space. We will explore new and pressing questions about human identity and the necessary responses caused by AI's rapid advancement. The course will tackle the complexities arising from AI's growing influence in the real world, including a range of emerging issues, regulatory concerns, and policy-making challenges. We will trace the historical trajectory of generative AI, from its science fiction roots to its connections to remix culture and social media. We will explore everything from advanced deep learning technologies to the creation of AI-generated content and the development of AI as a potential companion for humans. We will highlight the ethical challenges posed by these technologies, with emphasis on equal access to computational resources and inherent biases in AI datasets. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the First Year Studies requirement.)

FIYS 191: Voices of Leadership

"Voices of Leadership" invites students on a journey through perspectives of leadership ranging from mythic tales of an ancient Botswanan village to reports from leaders and thinkers from the contemporary United States. Students examine topics such as diverse leadership styles, the intersection of ethics and power, and the ethical and human challenges facing today's emerging leaders in the age of artificial intelligence (including questions of data bias social impact). The seminar fosters critical thinking and nuanced understanding of leadership in different contexts, encouraging students to engage with the material both in individual assignments and group activities. Students develop their own leadership voices, equipped to apply their insights in their own lives.

FIYS 193: Mathematics and the Theater (two sections)

What do the arts contribute to mathematics? How does STEM find a home in the theater? In this course, we investigate the value that each of these domains brings to the other, the overlap between them, and the blank spaces waiting to be filled by the next generation of artists and mathematicians. Students read plays and watch performances incorporating mathematical concepts and history, meet with professionals whose work exists at the intersections of arts and science, and learn how artists can help us make sense of scientific data – and vice versa. In addition, the course will explore Artificial Intelligence and the theater, with emphasis on "algorithmic theater" and large language models such as ChatGPT. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the First Year Studies requirement.)

COMM 371: Communication in the Age of AI

This course examines the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a phenomenon that interweaves the persuasive power of rhetoric with the transformative influence of modern media. We examine how AI can influence public opinion and shape political discourse, recognizing its role in redefining how media content is produced, distributed, and consumed. Students explore the ethical and regulatory challenges posed by AI through the disciplines of rhetoric and media studies. By embracing this integrated perspective, students develop a comprehensive understanding of AI's dual role as both a medium and a subject of public discourse. By examining topics such as algorithm-driven newsfeeds, targeted marketing, virtual news anchors, deepfakes, and misinformation, students gain a more nuanced view of the relationship among AI, communication, and their broader societal context. Prerequisite: COMM 255, or another 200-level Communication course approved by the Department Chair, or permission of instructor

ENGL 238: Literature/Culture in the Age of AI

This course explores representations of Artificial Intelligence in post-1900 American literature and culture. Students engage with various depictions of AI—from embodied androids and cyborgs to non-embodied computer systems and networked intelligence—and engage with relevant critical readings. The course examines how these texts reflect, critique, and speculate upon the evolving relationship between humans and AI. Key themes include the ethical implications of AI, the nature of consciousness/sentience in textual representation, the impact of AI technology on identity and society, and the potential for algorithmic bias and social control. Through a blend of textual analysis, class discussions, and research projects—as well as the student use of AI in their class projects to achieve the FFC Technology Tag—students critically examine how cultural texts mirror AI technology while influencing its development and perception.

ES 326: Interrogating the Ecology of Place

(Interrogating the Ecology of Place: From Generative AI to Regenerative Neighborhood Development) This course explores the nexus of Sweet Water Foundation’s (SWF) practice of Regenerative Neighborhood Development (RND) and emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. RND’s social justice methods transform the urban ecology of neighborhoods long subjected to disinvestment and discriminatory policies, embodying the idea that only through proximity to the ecology of a particular place - its land, people, and flows across seasons - can one acquire the knowledge required to design interventions capable of sustained impact. AI, by contrast, is almost wholly detached from these specific ecologies of place. But how might AI tools be used critically and strategically to foster protopian rather than utopian visions, staying connected to environmental realities and a community’s lived experience and needs? This course features significant hands-on field-based work, both on campus and at SWF’s bio-dynamic campus, known as The Commonwealth, on Chicago’s South Side. Co-taught with SWF leadership and team members. Prerequisite: Junior Standing

GSWS 224: A.I., Robots, and Gender

(Decoding the Feminine: 'Artificial' Intelligence, Robots, and Gender) With recent A.I. progress (artificial intelligence or machine learning) and technological advancements, the gap between reality and fiction has shrunk significantly; yet, from Villiers de l’Isle-Adam’s Future Eve (1886) to Alex Garland’s Ex Machina (2014), A.I and robots have long been represented in literature and films as women. Does science fiction only dream of female A.I. and robots? Why? This course analyzes how global literature and cinema have imagined the future of technology and the intersectionality of A.I., robots, and gender. Adopting a feminist and posthumanist approach, students examine how A.I. and technology are reshaping what it means to be human, and discuss social, political, and ethical considerations in both reality and fiction. Even if originally published in other languages, all texts and films will be available in English or with English subtitles.

LING 300: Language Learning, Teaching, and AI

(Language Learning, Teaching, and AI Collaboration) This course offers a comprehensive exploration of language as a system, encompassing research findings on language learning and teaching, along with insights into the collaborative integration of AI in the classroom. Students investigate the subfields of linguistics, such as phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, discourse and pragmatics, language acquisition, second-language research methods, and language pedagogy. This course is about how to use language acquisition research and generalizations derived from it to inform teaching practices and materials design. Those considering teaching in the future can reflect on how to apply both the emerging and ongoing developments, research, and trends, such as translanguaging pedagogy, TPR storytelling pedagogy in the field to classroom instruction. Furthermore, the course explores the intersection of education and artificial intelligence, fostering discussions on the role of AI in language learning with attention to questions of bias and equitable learning opportunity. While this course is particularly designed for students interested in investigating the most effective methods for language instruction, it is also geared to raise awareness of how languages are both taught and ascertained. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Technology requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Cultural Diversity requirement.)
cross listed: EDUC 300

PHIL 222: The Humanist Ethics of AI (offered in spring and fall semesters)

RELG 256: Religion, SciFi, AI, and Non-Human

This class examines how science fiction has addressed the deeply religious questions of what is means to be a person, and the nature of the self, consciousness, and the supernatural. Given the recent rise of A.I. (artificial intelligence) technology, we pay particular attention to how the genre understands the human and our relationship to the non-human and the trans-human: the A.I., the robot, the alien, the divine, and the monster. We consider this relationship in terms of the central concerns of religion, from ethics and philosophy, to fears about an A.I. apocalypse, to the nature of the soul. In class we analyze diverse science fiction and speculative fiction (types of media, time periods, cultures), and utilize A.I. and other software in projects.

SPAN 385: Migration & AI in Spain/Latin Amer

(Migrating Scenes: Artificial Intelligence, Imagination, and Migration in Spain and Latin America.) This course examines migration through cultural productions and new technologies to analyze how resilience, imagination, and human connection shape immigrants’ experiences, welfare, and futures. Course materials include graphic novels, film, theater, fiction/narrative, visual art, and memoir. Alongside these, students research current events and explore how Artificial Intelligence is impacting the experiences of migrants and policy debates about immigration. Key questions include: How is AI is being harnessed globally to analyze migration trends, make migratory projections, and develop infrastructure in immigrant-welcoming communities? How are immigrants using chatbots and other AI technologies to facilitate their migration and integration efforts? How can AI cultivate a more humane, ethical approach to migrants worldwide? The course is conducted in Spanish and is structured along a variety of migration trajectories connected to Spain and/or Latin America. Course goals include a comparative, critical understanding of migration as a dynamic, global experience of crisis, resilience, and cultural transformation whose future is deeply tied to AI technologies. Prerequisite: One higher 200-level Spanish course (above SPAN 212), placement exam recommendation, or permission of instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Global Perspectives and Writing requirements.)
cross listed: LNAM 385