This course teaches you to use the tools of applied historical thinking and Science, Technology, and Society (STS) to recognize, analyze, and shape the human contexts and ethics of data. It addresses key topics such as doing ethical data science amid shifting definitions of human subjects, consent, and privacy; the changing relationship between data, democracy, and law; the role of data analytics in how corporations and governments provide public goods such as health and security to citizens; sensors, machine learning and artificial intelligence and changing landscapes of labor, industry, and city life. It prepares you to engage as a knowledgeable and responsible citizen and professional in the varied arenas of our datafied world.

Data-driven services and artificial intelligence-powered devices now shape the innumerable aspects of our lives. Beneath the surface of these technologies, computational and increasingly autonomous techniques that operate on large, ever-evolving datasets are revolutionizing how people act in and know the world. These new tools, systems, and infrastructures have profound consequences for how we think of ourselves, relate to one another, organize collective life, and envision desirable futures. At the same time as data technologies shape social life, they are products of historical and institutional dynamics, deep-rooted social structures and political cultures that bear the marks of human intentions, interests, and desires. The final exam for the course will be an open book exam that students will have 3 hours to complete within a 24-hour window of time. The 24-hour window of time will be centered around the official exam date and time assigned to the course.

Credit Restrictions

Students will receive no credit for DATA C104\HISTORY C184D\STS C104D after completing DATA 104. A deficient grade in DATA C104\HISTORY C184D\STS C104D may be removed by taking DATA 104.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills