Wayne State students explore AI through Philosophy courses

Wayne State University's Department of Philosophy is expanding its curriculum this fall with four courses focused on artificial intelligence, reflecting both surging student interest and the growing role AI plays in everyday life and work.

The new and returning courses - Critical Thinking: AI & Information Literacy (PHI 1090), AI & Data Ethics (PHI 1150), Minds & Machines (PHI/PSY 2650) and Philosophy of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and AI (PHI 5620)- approach AI from multiple angles, combining practical skills with deeper philosophical questions about technology and humanity.

For department chair Josh Wilburn, the expansion is a natural response to student demand and a continuation of philosophy's long-standing engagement with these topics.

"Our department has tried to define itself by responsiveness to student interests and needs," Wilburn said. "We're seeing that AI has become an urgent global issue, and students understandably have lots of questions about it."

Wilburn also says philosophy is uniquely positioned to lead these conversations.

"Philosophers have been talking about artificial intelligence for more than half a century. In a way, what we're seeing now is that issues that have always been interesting to philosophers are becoming interesting to everyone."

Student interest is evident. Courses related to AI are filling quickly, with some reaching capacity shortly after registration opens. That demand mirrors broader trends within the discipline, particularly the rise of applied ethics courses that tackle real-world challenges.

The new Critical Thinking: AI & Information Literacy course is designed to equip students with practical skills for navigating an AI-driven world. Co-designed by Mike McFerren, adjunct professor of philosophy and economics, the course focuses on how to question, test and effectively use AI tools.

"Before LLMs [large language models], teaching critical thinking was more like teaching someone how to be a detective," McFerren explained. "In the AI era, teaching critical thinking is more like teaching a lawyer how to cross-examine a crafty expert witness."

That shift reflects a key challenge: AI systems can sound authoritative while obscuring flawed reasoning or incomplete evidence. McFerren says students must learn how to probe those systems, demand transparency and evaluate their outputs critically.

AI & Data Ethics, taught by graduate teaching assistant Griffin Kiegiel, explores some of the most pressing ethical questions surrounding the technology. Topics include the use of AI in warfare, responsibility for autonomous systems, deepfakes and the environmental impact of large-scale computing.

"AI affects everyone's lives, even those who don't use it intentionally," Kiegiel said. "The fact that much of the content is so new makes the class really exciting."

Meanwhile, Minds & Machines, taught by Eric Hiddleston, associate professor, examines deeper theoretical questions about consciousness, intelligence and

the nature of thinking itself. As AI systems become more advanced, those questions are no longer abstract.

"We don't even fully understand consciousness in humans," Hiddleston said. "But questions about whether AI systems could think or deserve rights are going to become increasingly important."

He emphasized that students will need to learn not just how to use AI, but how to think alongside it.

"It's very easy to use AI to produce something that looks polished, but isn't meaningful," he said. "The real skill will be using AI to augment your own thinking, not replace it."

The fourth course, Philosophy of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and AI, taught by Sean Stidd, uses literature and imaginative scenarios to explore questions about identity, humanity and technological change. Through science fiction and related genres, students will consider how emerging technologies shape and challenge what it means to be human.

Across all four courses, a common thread emerges: the importance of human perspectives in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

"AI is going to have a profound impact on human beings," Wilburn said. "It's important that students not only understand what it is but also engage with it critically and think about the ethical and philosophical issues it raises."

Looking ahead, the department is developing a new minor in AI and data ethics, further expanding opportunities for students to engage with these issues.