Introduction to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
Sorry you missed this course in 2026. Register your interest below for 2027: Explore the ethical issues of AI to help your organisation implement more responsible AI.
Introduction to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
$1190 (inc GST)
What you will learn
Gain contemporary skills and knowledge for your job now.
From deep fakes to chatbots, artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasing presence in our lives and workplaces – but this raises ethical implications for businesses.
This micro-credential is ideal for leaders and digital professionals who want a better understanding of the opportunities and risks of AI and how these can impact organisations.
Informed by leading research from the Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics (CAIDE), learning and assessment in this course are aligned to SFIA 8.
Explore key AI terminology, benefits and opportunities
Discover the history and context of AI and understand why it's one of the most important advances in computing technology. Understand key terminology and explore AI capabilities, benefits, opportunities and limitations.
Apply ethical frameworks and theories to AI in your workplace
Examine concepts of trust and power and how they relate to technology and ethics. Explore ethical theories and frameworks and consider how they may apply to AI systems in your own organisation.
Consider case studies
Learn to apply concepts and principles from AI ethics to case studies such as facial recognition, automated-decision making, and human monitoring and surveillance.
Minimise organisational risk, promote 'good' AI
Understand the possible negative impacts of AI systems and how to minimise risk. Gain an overview of AI fairness and discrimination, accountability and safety. Learn how to apply principles of 'good' AI to create responsible technology projects and reduce inequity and marginalisation.
Have better business case conversations about AI
Gain the knowledge and confidence to have more effective, nuanced conversations about AI and ethics with others in your workplace and industry. You'll create an AI ethics cheat sheet that reflects key elements of this course and can be used as a tool in your organisation.
Who you will learn from
Learn from skilled academics and professional experts who will share invaluable knowledge you can use in your job.
Dr Simon Coghlan
Simon is a moral philosopher and digital and AI ethicist. He is a senior lecturer in the School of Computing and Information Systems (CIS) at the University of Melbourne and a co-director of the Centre for AI and Digital Ethics (CAIDE). He works on a variety of topics in digital ethics such as robot carers and companions, the anthropomorphism of machines, the impact of technologies on the nonhuman world, and the ethics of AI in healthcare.
Fees
For individuals
To take Introduction to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence as a stand-alone micro-credential, you'll pay the normal course price.
Enrol now
Please contact Student Support to discuss discounts and payment options for University of Melbourne staff or alumni, or to pay by invoice.
$1190 (inc GST)
For teams
If you have three or more team members who are keen to upskill with Introduction to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, get in touch to discuss pricing. For large groups, we can also deliver and contextualise this course exclusively for your organisation.
Pricing on request
Dates
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Course details
This micro-credential is ideal for leaders and professionals who work with technology and want a better understanding of AI and its ethical implications for organisations and broader society. It is also ideal for organisations that want to upskill their technology, risk and leadership teams in the area of AI Ethics.
Learning is applicable across industries and the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Some previous professional experience or study of information technologies (IT) is beneficial before you undertake this course, but it's not an official eligibility requirement.
This micro-credential is delivered by the University of Melbourne's Centre for AI and Digital Ethics (CAIDE), which facilitates cutting-edge cross-disciplinary research, teaching and leadership on the ethical, technical, regulatory and legal issues relating to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies.
CAIDE professionals, including Professor Tim Miller, Professor Jeannie Paterson, and Dr Simon Coghlan have also contributed to the development of this course, ensuring you'll be able to draw upon best industry practices to gain skills and knowledge that are immediately applicable to your own workplace setting.
The course may contribute to continuing professional development (CPD) points for some professional societies, including certification as a Certified Technologist or Certified Professional from the Australian Computer Society. It is your responsibility to check if you are eligible.
The course's learning and assessment are aligned with SFIA 8 Skill - Emerging technology monitoring at the following levels.
Level 4:
- Supports monitoring of the external environment and assessment of emerging technologies
- Contributes to the creation of reports, technology road mapping and the sharing of knowledge and insights.
Level 5:
- Monitors the external environment to gather intelligence on emerging technologies
- Assesses and documents the impacts, threats and opportunities to the organisation
- Creates reports and technology roadmaps and shares knowledge and insights with others.
By the end of this micro-credential, you'll be able to:
- Interpret and communicate the social and ethical issues raised by the use of artificial intelligence to other technical professionals and the wider community
- Apply established ethical frameworks to demonstrate reasoning in relation to social and ethical issues in the design, development and deployment of digital technologies, with a focus on AI.
This course runs for six weeks. Your total time commitment is 42 hours maximum, which includes:
- 3 x synchronous online workshops ( 3 hours total)
- Guided online learning ( 6 - 12 hours)
- Readings and independent study ( 6 - 12 hours )
- Assessment task 1 ( 5 hours )
- Assessment task 2 ( 15 hours ).
Assessment:
- AI ethics 'cheat sheet’ (30%)
- Case study (70%).
- Once you've successfully completed this course, you will be awarded your Introduction to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Melbourne MicroCert. This digital certificate will warrant the achievement of knowledge, skills and capabilities outlined in the learning outcomes. It may also include artefacts (such as videos and written material) related to both experiential and work-integrated learning, including translatable assessment that is practical to your professional life. You can also share your Melbourne MicroCert digitally and via social media by adding it to your personal platforms, such as LinkedIn. See example certificate.
Delivered fully online, this course provides a convenient way to develop your skillset from a location that suits you. Within our digital learning environment, you'll engage with other professionals and leaders and take part in synchronous and asynchronous learning activities.
You'll have access to videos of industry leaders discussing real-world case studies. You'll also take part in live, online workshops, contribute to discussion boards with your peers, and complete independent study to deepen your knowledge of AI ethics.