Data and Artificial Intelligence Ethics MSc

About the degree programme

This programme responds to the urgent demand for interdisciplinary expertise in the ethical design, use and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and other data-intensive technologies.

Why this programme matters

Many organisations lack the specialist technical and policy expertise needed to manage the ethical challenges of AI, which increasingly go far beyond legal compliance or risk management.

As public expectations and regulatory demands increase, all sectors need skilled graduates equipped with critical, creative and advanced data skills. As a graduate, you will be prepared to help organisations and institutions navigate complex new technical systems and roles with greater transparency, accountability, fairness, justice, and respect for human rights, and in ways aligned with genuine human and social needs.

World-leading teaching and research

Our interdisciplinary degree is designed with the University of Edinburgh’s world-leading academic expertise in this area, drawing on the fields of philosophy, law, informatics, and science and technology innovation studies (STIS). The degree leverages research excellence from the Futures Institute’s Centre for Technomoral Futures, which blends technical and moral expertise in new models of research, education, design and engagement that directly serve the goals of sustainable, just and ethical innovation.

What you will learn

Over the course of this programme, you will develop the knowledge and expertise to shape how AI and data are developed and governed, contributing to a future where innovation is both responsible and sustainable.

As a student, you will:

* build the cognitive and collaborative skills needed for responsible and ethical data and AI development, use and governance

* develop a deep critical understanding of the ethical, legal, policy and design values, principles and practices that enable responsible use of data and AI

* learn how to engage diverse stakeholders and practitioners of AI and data ethics across sectors, disciplines and communities

You will also learn:

* how ethical norms and principles map onto the distinctive technical capabilities of AI and data science

* how ethics intersects with other forms of technology governance such as law, policy, design and professional standards

* how ethics relates to broader political and cultural contestations of algorithmic, corporate and state power and influence

* what tools and resources experts in the field of AI and data ethics have developed to make practical interventions in the design, evaluation, use and governance of AI and data-intensive computing systems

Postgraduate study at Edinburgh Futures Institute

This programme is part of an interconnected portfolio of postgraduate study opportunities at Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI). EFI supports interdisciplinary teaching, learning, and research that addresses today’s most complex global and social challenges.