Artificial Intelligence Ethicists

High School

AI ethics is an interdisciplinary field, so it’s a good idea to pursue a well-rounded education in high school that includes coursework in business, economics, computer science (especially AI courses), mathematics, social studies, history, philosophy, and government. You’ll need strong oral and written communication skills in this career, so you should also take English, speech, writing, and a foreign language.

Postsecondary Education

AI ethicists have a wide range of backgrounds, but many have bachelor’s degrees in computer science (including AI), data science, social sciences (including sociology), legal studies, or philosophy. Some have graduate degrees in one of these fields, or a degree in AI with an emphasis or minor, or a certificate, in technology or AI ethics. College students typically participate in internships and other cooperative education opportunities, which allow them to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world settings. Other students participate in research or projects related to AI ethics with their professors or at think tanks and other organizations that have collaborative relationships with their school.

Certification

Some colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in AI ethics, technology ethics, and related fields. For example, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Philosophy offers an ethics of AI certificate to students who complete the following courses: Introduction to Ethics, The AI Revolution, and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. Other schools that offer artificial intelligence ethics certificate programs include San Francisco State University, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and Harvard University. Programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

Other Education or Training

The tech association ISACA offers continuing education courses such as AI Fundamentals; Ethical Perspectives in AI: Implications, Principles, and Social Dynamics; AI Governance: Principles, Strategies and Business Alignment; Machine Learning for Business Enablement; and AI Threat Landscape: Attacks, Risk, and Security Measures. Visit https://www.isaca.org/resources/artificial-intelligence for more information. Colleges and universities offer a wide range of ethics-related courses. For example, Baylor University offers graduate-level classes such as The New Reality: AI and Ethics in Law; Code of Ethics: Guiding the Future of AI in Healthcare; and Responsible AI: Navigating AI in Business. Contact schools in your area for information about available courses. Other education providers include think tanks and online learning platforms.