Social sciences and technology

Study programs

Teaching information

Teachers

PhDr. Mgr. Ján Mičko, PhD.

Schedule

Learning outcomes

The aim of the subject is to give a cross-sectional overview of the basic social sciences and their most current questions in an experiential and training manner to explain the functioning of a person in a digital society and in a work environment in which artificial intelligence is introduced. Students will be introduced to basic psychological processes, with an emphasis on selected cognitive functions, such as decision-making processes and problem solving, or on motivational processes of performance. From the point of view of sociology, the topics of the impact of information and communication technologies, both positive and negative, on society and social processes such as globalization and socialization (four generations in society) will be discussed. Ethics will draw students' attention to the ethical requirements that must be followed in the implementation of trustworthy artificial intelligence during its development and integration into life. The need for professional ethics in engineering and industrial practice will be explained. From the point of view of political sciences, students will be introduced to the topics of security and politics, which are strongly influenced by contemporary technologies, especially the Internet and social networks.

Course outline

Philosophy of information (Philosophical approach to information - search for a definition of information - the role of philosophy and cognitive sciences in the study of information - Who and how researches information - Ways of using information in history - information revolutions and their cognitive overlap - Ontological approaches to information - Information science - Science as a compression of information - Information as an arrangement - Technical and physical information) Selected issues of psychology in the digital era Division of mental processes. Cognitions, perception, attention, memory, theories of learning, conscious and unconscious processes, thinking as a higher form of cognitive processes, decision making and problem solving. Emotions and motivation, social motivation (performance motive, power motive and affiliation motive), attitudes. The influence of technology on human behavior. Digital addiction. Prosocial and antisocial behavior in the digital space. Sociology and artificial intelligence Introduction to the issue of artificial intelligence in relation to the development and existence of society. Threats and benefits for society - creation and disappearance of jobs, further education of generations as a necessity, inequality in society - elite versus poverty, globalization of society - positive and negative. Media and their influence on society and people. Social networks - and their effects on people and society. Current results of sociological research on the effects and consequences of the use of social networks by different generations. Infodemic - conspiracy theories, fake news. Modern technologies in the security and political sphere The use of the Internet and social networks in the political struggle. Effects of Internet messages on political events. Security threats in the Internet space. Social networks as a tool of hybrid warfare. Domestic and foreign propaganda spread by social networks. Information ethics and ethics of artificial intelligence. Ethical connotations of using ICT and artificial intelligence. Ethical principles in the context of artificial intelligence systems and the requirements of trustworthy artificial intelligence. Digital ethics and etiquette. Ethics in the engineering profession and practice. Whistleblowing and moral schizophrenia of a manager-technician. Institutionalization of ethics in the company.

Completion conditions

Assessment and completion of the course: Graded credit test Continuous assessment: During the semester: written examination - 40 points and semester assignment - 50 points, presentation - 10 points. At least 91 points are required to obtain an A rating, at least 81 points to obtain a B rating, at least 71 points for a C rating, at least 61 points for a D rating, and at least 51 points for an E rating. Credits will not be granted to a student who gets less than 21 points from the written examination and less than 26 points from the semester assignment, less than 6 points from the presentation. Final assessment: Student passes the final assessment and passes the examination when he or she meets the requirement to obtain at least 51% out of 100%. Test Overall assessment: Overall assessment is the sum of the assessments obtained by students in the assessment period. The overall result is determined in accordance with the internal regulations of the Technical University in Košice. (Study Regulations, the internal regulation principles of doctoral studies)

Recommended literature

BRINJOLFSSON, E., McAFEE, A. 2015. Druhý věk stroju. Praha: Jan Melvin Publishing, 2015. 295s. ISBN 978-80-87270-71-4. TEGMARK, M. 2017. Život 3.0. Človek v ére umělé inteligence. Praha: Argo, 2017. 294s. ISBN 978-80-257-3173-4. MARTINÁK, D. 2017. Povolanie robot. Dostupné na internete: https://www.minedu.sk/data/att/11077.pdf ATKINSON, R. L. a kol., 2003. Psychologie. Praha: Victoria publishing, Portal. ISBN 80-7178-640-3 FORD, M. 2017. Rice of the Robots. Technology and the Threat of the Robots. Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future. New York: Basic Books. Dostupné na: https://www.uc.pt/feuc/citcoimbra/Martin_Ford-Rise_of_the_Robots ROSS, A. 2019. Obory budoucnosti. Praha: Argo, 2019. 330s. ISBN 978-80-257-2881-9. HARARI, N. Y. 2011. SAPIENS: A Brief History of Humankind. McClelland a Stewart. HUNTINGTON, S., 2002. The clash of civilizations. London: Simon a Schuster UK. KASSIN, S., 2007. Psychologie. Brno: Computer Press. ISBN 978-80-251-1716-3. KOOL, V. K. a R. AGRAWAL, 2016. Psychology of Technology. Springer International Publishing. ISBN 978-3-319-45333-0 ROSEN, L. D. , CHEEVER, N. a L. M. CARRIER, 2015. The Wiley Handbook of Psychology, Technology, and Society. Chichester: John Wiley a Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-77202-7. SLAVKOVSKÝ, R., 2013. Informácia v kontexte filozofie a kognitívnych vied. Trnava: TU Edícia kognitívne štúdiá. ISBN 978-80-8082-647-5. STENGEL, R., 2019. Information wars: How we lost the global battle against disinformation and what we can do about it. London: Grove Press UK. STERNBERG, R., 2005. Kognitívní psychologie. Praha: Portál. ISBN 80-7178-376-5

Grade distribution

Total graded students: 2216