During the course, students will:

• Learn to describe and comment upon the theoretical assumptions of current research in Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience, and the relevance that different approaches may have for different application domains.
• Be introduced to the philosophical foundations and implications of influential paradigms in AI and Cognitive Neuroscience as well as their societal and ethical implications regarding topics such as autonomy, agency, and privacy.
• Learn how to express arguments and opinions in writing according to the accepted norms for scientific AI publications and how to effectively digest articles in the relevant journals. Students will also learn how to report on research which has already been carried out  and how to communicate with specialists in AI and Cognitive Neurocience, as well as with non-specialists.
• Develop a critical scientific attitude towards research in general and AI in particular, i.e. by learning to critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data. Students will also learn how to integrate multidisciplinary knowledge and formulate theoretical research questions.

Developments in cognitive science increasingly affect our everyday lives on a personal, interpersonal and societal level. During this course we will focus specifically on how recent developments in Cognitive Psychology, Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience raise several practical issues for both individuals and society. Topics will include:
• The possibility of 'genuine AI' and the debates about the Turing Test and the Chinese room (Will computers and robots ever be 'really' intelligent? Will they become ‘superintelligent’?)
• The relation between traditional AI and embodied embedded cognition (Are we our brains, or is cognition embodied and embedded?)
• The implications of recent neuroscientific developments for our understanding of conscious free will (Are we free to do what we want? Are we free to want what we want? What would it mean to be free from your brain?)
• The potential implications of new neurotechnologies for the individual and society (Would you practice cognitive enhancement on a daily basis?)
• The societal effects of ICT (How will the future versions of smartphones & social webforums change the way you interact with other people?)
• The impact of robots on human life and society (Will robots take control of the world or will we marry them?)
• Professionalism in AI research and its applications (How can you, as a practicing cognitive scientist, deal responsibly with the above topics?)

You will apply the acquired skills to address the various topics mentioned above (i.e. by analysing concepts, clarifying intuitions and basic assumptions, analysing empirical research results and formulating potential implications). Finally, you will consider how, as a responsible professional in AI, CNS or Psychology, you could contribute to the public debate, thereby assisting stakeholders in responsible decision-making about research directions and applications of resulting technologies.
These topics will be discussed on the basis of several important (notorious; infamous) papers and additional background literature.