GENS-176-V: Large Language Models and Society
Spring 2026

Note on the Text

• "Large Language Models", by Stephan Raaijmakers MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series, 2025. 2025
• "AI Ethics", by Mark Coeckelbergh, MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series, 2020.

Syllabus

Links by Day

• Week 1
  • Tuesday
    • YouTube Video: What is a LLM?
    • Handout: Vocabulary of LLMs (and AI, Machine Learning, etc)
    • Close Reading Exercise:
      • Passages A and B
      • Handout for A
      • Handout for B
      • Short quiz
    • Homework for Thursday:
      • Read pages 1-30 (to "Logic Based Natural Language Processing") in the Large Language Models text.
      • Answer the "readback" (see Assignments in Canvas) at least 60 minutes before the beginning of class on Thursday.
  • Thursday
    • A closer look at the reading.
      Highlights from the Reading
    • Guide and Write up
    • (If time) Language Models
    • (If time) Grammar Handout
    • Homework for TuesdayRead pg 1-29 in "AI Ethics", and answer the "readback" at least an hour before class on Tuesday.
• Week 2
  • Tuesday: Today we're discussing AI Ethics (first reading), and Thesis/Debate issues.
    • AI Ethics Handouts
      • Notes about the reading
      • Group Discussion Notes
      • Short quiz (Didn't have enough time for this)
    • Thesis/Debate Handouts
      • Notes: What is a "thesis statement", and what makes for "good debate"?
      • Pre-assessment on Thesis and Debate
    • If there's time- The HAL 9000
    • HOMEWORK for Thursday: The Job Ad.
      • Homework Description
      • Sample Job Ad
      • Sample Resumes
  • Thursday
    Today we'll be discussing the "Job Ad" lab assigned last time, and talking generally about possible bias in LLMs. We'll do some writing as well today.
    • Four Car Mechanics
    • Job ad links (see Tuesday links)
    • Short video- Peer Review
    • Helpful notes on being a Peer Reviewer
    • Writing prompt for today
  • Homework: Take a look at Ch 4 (p. 92-117 in the textbook) in Large Language Models. As usual with the readings, there is a "readback" due Tuesday one hour before class (9 AM).
• Week 3
  • Tuesday (Feb 3)
    • Slides to discuss Ch 4 (Learning from Humans), 5
    • Humans behind AI
    • Youtube link (Mary Gray, Ghost Workers)
    • Homework: Read Ch 3, 4 in "AI Ethics" for Thursday's class.
  • Thursday (Feb 5)
    • Excerpt from text for discussion
    • Discussion break 1: Do LLMs understand language?
    • Discussion break 2: Moral Agency vs Moral Patiency
    • HOMEWORK: Finish up our discussion of whether LLMs understand language by finishing the short writing homework. We'll finish up our discussion of "Moral Agency" vs "Moral Patiency" next time.
• Week 4 (Feb 10-12)
  • Tuesday: Finish up the discussion from Ch 4 of AI Ethics, then discuss Ch 5 of LLMs.
    • Questions from the writing assignment?
    • Definitions (then finish the case studies)
    • Debate: John Searle (of Chinese Room fame) and Margaret Boden (philosopher from University of Sussex) from 1984
    • Summary and Discussion Questions
    • Homework for Thursday: Watch the short video on Creativity. Read through the first five pages of this paper by Prof. Margaret Bode (2014) (with a readback due an hour before next class).
  • Thursday: Discussion of "Creativity"; finish discussing Ch 5 of LLMs.
    • Discussion of Ch 5 (LLM)
      • Examples of Hallucinations
      • Example from text
    • Discussion: What is creativity? (from the video homework)
    • Continuing discussion of Margaret Boden's work:
      • Prof. Margaret Boden's 2014 article
      • (If time) Talk by Prof. Boden in 2019
    • Homework: Here is this week's writing assignment, in two parts. The first part is due Tuesday at 11:59 PM, the second part is due Wed at 11:59 PM. Read Ch 6 of "Large Language Models", but start on Page 158 (at "Darwinism and Creativity"). The author discusses Boden's work.
• Week 5: Short week (Holiday Monday; Power and Privilege Symposia Thursday)
  • Tuesday, Feb 17
    • Can an LLM (or more generally, an AI being) be "conscious"? (Finishing up the video from last Tuesday)
    • John Searle in 2019 (linked later)