An introduction to artificial intelligence

Published on March 4, 2026

Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents great opportunity, but also significant disruption for modern societies and cultures. This free online short course investigates the historical, ethical and social issues surrounding this technology. It is aimed at people interested in understanding where this technology has come from, the kinds of opportunities it brings to modern and future societies, but also the risks it presents, and what steps we might take to avoid such risks. First published on Wed, 25 May 2022 as An introduction to artificial intelligence. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website.

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