Critical AI Minor
Explore the ethics, history, and philosophy behind AI with Illinois Tech’s critical AI minor, and gain the humanist perspective on today’s tech-driven world demands.
Question the Machines with Illinois Tech’s Minor in Critical AI
As artificial intelligence reshapes every industry and institution, employers need professionals who can do more than build these systems—they need people who can interrogate them. Illinois Tech’s interdisciplinary Minor in Critical AI is open to students from any major, bridging technical education with the ethical, philosophical, and sociological frameworks that define our relationship with technology. With direct access to world-class faculty in the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, you'll develop a perspective that sets you apart.
Program Overview
Illinois Tech’s Minor in Critical AI is designed for students who want to go beyond the mechanics of artificial intelligence and understand its broader human impact. Across these in-person courses, you will draw on disciplines including history, philosophy, and the social sciences to examine how AI technologies reshape our professional, cultural, and political landscapes. Open to all Illinois Tech students regardless of major, the minor complements any degree and can be completed alongside your bachelor's program. Students may enroll in the summer or fall semester.
Career Opportunities
Students who complete this minor along with an undergraduate degree are prepared for careers in:
- Software engineering
- Data science
- Policy analysis
HIST 271: A History of Artificial Intelligence from Turing to the Present
PHIL 331: Political Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
PHIL 381: Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy, and Ethics You’ll explore philosophical and ethical questions related to artificial intelligence and then reflect about its possible future developments. Learn how ethical arguments, concepts, and principles are used in debates relating to AI and robots. Among the topics discussed include: What is artificial intelligence? What is the role of algorithmic bias in hiring processes and facial recognition? What would it mean for AI to have capabilities such as sentience, emotions, consciousness, or a mind? What are the good rules for decision-making in self-driving cars? How do we perceive and talk about AI and robots? What is the moral and legal status of robots?
Admission to all undergraduate programs at Illinois Tech is evaluated via a holistic approach that takes various factors under consideration, including your high school performance and essays. Your choice of major will impact this process as well, because each major has its own criteria for admission.
To learn more about our admission selection process, recommended high school coursework, and our admitted student profile, please visit our admission website.
Tuition and Fees
Learn more about the university’s general tuition and fees, visit the Student Accounting website.
To get a more in-depth idea of the tuition and fees for the Minor in Critical AI, you can utilize the net price calculator tool.
Featured Faculty
Saran Ghatak
Bo Rodda
Keith Green
Elisabeth Hildt
Clarissa Busch
Conducting research with professors and students has given Pranav Kuchibhotla the confidence he needs to pursue a career in machine learning.
Pranav Kuchibhotla (AI 4th Year)
An impactful internship at NASA’s Johnson Space Center has advanced Amr Alshatnawi’s trajectory to achieving his career goals.
Amr Alshatnawi (M.A.S. AI 1st Year)Get In Touch
To learn more about the Minor in Critical AI, you can reach out to Sarah Ghatak at sghatak@illinoistech.edu.