History Rebooted: Alan Turing and Understanding Artificial Intelligence

Given that Alan Turing’s work breaking the German code was significant in defeating Nazi Germany in the Second World War, and given that you are likely reading this on a computer, Alan Turing is a part of your world. The course is an exploration of the life and work of Alan Turing and a course that will ask you to consider Turing’s best known legacy: the concept of artificial intelligence. We will consider who Turing was through biographical, fictional, and film versions of his life. Students will also create a significant research project on the implications artificial intelligence has for envisioning the future and understanding our relationship with technology. This is a reading and writing intensive course that will introduce you to Alan Turing—someone you really ought to know.