UAlbany Launches Minor in Ethics and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence

By Bethany Bump

ALBANY, N.Y. (Jan. 20, 2026) — The University at Albany has launched a new undergraduate minor in Ethics and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence designed to provide students from any major with an interdisciplinary framework for examining how artificial intelligence is transforming society and raising urgent ethical, legal and philosophical questions.

Available as of the spring 2026 semester, the minor combines existing courses from across the University with newly developed offerings that address emerging challenges related to AI’s design, use and governance. Housed in the Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences, it is the University’s first academic program in the humanities specifically focused on AI and is open to undergraduate students in all fields of study.

“Students trained in philosophical ethics learn to recognize moral trade‑offs, question the assumptions embedded in technologies, and clearly articulate why one course of action makes better sense than another," said Marcus Adams, associate professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy. "In a field like AI, where dilemmas are emerging faster than guidelines can keep up, that foundation allows students to weigh competing values such as privacy, fairness, transparency and human well‑being, rather than simply defaulting to industry norms.”

The program offers new core courses, including its signature class, APHI 380: AI in Society: Ethical and Legal Issues, which examines the ethical and legal issues surrounding the deployment of AI technologies, with a focus on governance, safety and social responsibility.

A second new core course, APHI 213: Ethics and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, introduces students to the theoretical foundations of AI and its ethical and social implications. The course addresses competing narratives around AI’s benefits and risks, how AI systems are represented in public discourse, and how increased understanding of AI can support more responsible decision-making by institutions and society at large.

“AI is forcing us to revise our answers to ‘old’ questions about how to think rationally, what we should value, and how to identify the morally right thing to do,” said Alessandra Buccella, an assistant professor of philosophy who is teaching the new courses. “For example, with generative chatbots able to spit out dangerous and even illegal misinformation with no reliable guardrails in place, it is absolutely crucial for our society to be equipped with a solid understanding of the deep reasons why AI works the way it does, for better and for worse.”

The Ethics and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence minor requires 18 credits, including nine credits in philosophy and nine credits in ethics and philosophy of AI electives, with at least nine credits completed at the 300 level or above.

While core requirements focus on ethical issues related to AI, electives draw from a wide range of disciplines, from cybersecurity to music.

Students who complete the minor will engage with topics ranging from algorithmic bias, explainability, trustworthiness, regulation, distributive justice, human rights and the security risks posed by malicious uses of AI and big data.

The program is designed to support students in both STEM and non-STEM pathways. Students outside of STEM fields can explore philosophical questions while gaining practical insight into how AI technologies are applied in real-world contexts such as business, cybersecurity and public administration. Students in STEM-based majors can complement their technical training with broader ethical, cultural and social analysis, helping them develop a competitive edge in the AI job market.

"As training and knowledge of AI becomes indispensable in higher education, it is deeply important to consider the ethical and moral principles that are fundamental to every step taken within this domain of inquiry and practice," said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jeanette Altarriba. "This program can serve as a foundational level of understanding for a broad range of topics underscoring the proper uses of AI and areas where misuses can result in negative impacts to society. The Department of Philosophy is to be commended for developing programs of this nature and caliber and providing the kind of instruction that can serve students throughout the entire campus community."

The proposal for the new minor was reviewed by UAlbany’s AI & Society College, founded in Spring 2025 with a $2.4 million investment from the State University of New York. While the college does not enroll students directly, it is spearheading a significant expansion of AI-related curriculum across all nine of UAlbany’s schools and colleges, ensuring students have access to cross-disciplinary learning that equips them for a world radically changed by AI.

“As AI becomes more deeply embedded in society, the need for graduates who can think critically about how these technologies are shaping the world — and who can navigate their ethical and societal implications — is more important than ever,” said Mila Gascó-Hernandez, acting associate director of the AI & Society College. “This new minor reflects UAlbany’s commitment to preparing students not just to use AI, but to understand its ethical, social and philosophical dimensions. In this respect, it speaks directly to the mission that guided the creation of the AI & Society College.”

Students interested in the new minor should consult their academic advisor or visit the Department of Philosophy’s program page for information about requirements and enrollment.