AI and Rationality that challenges students to confront deep philosophical questions about what it means for an artificial system to be rational — and whether machines can ever truly possess rational agency in the way humans do. Rather than providing definitive answers, the class is designed to help students from diverse disciplines think critically about the assumptions underlying AI decision-making and how concepts of rationality developed in philosophy relate to the behavior of computational systems.
Taught jointly by computer science professor Leslie Kaelbling and linguistics and philosophy expert Brian Hedden, the course bridges computer science and philosophical inquiry, exploring topics such as rational beliefs, decision-making, and the nature of autonomous intelligent agents. The curriculum draws on both fields’ long-standing efforts to define and formalize rational thought — a task that dates back to theoretical pioneers like Alan Turing, who wove together philosophical questions and early computational ideas.
Central to the course is the idea that students should examine their own assumptions about logic, rationality, and intelligence. Participants grapple with different definitions of rationality — including how humans often act in ways that violate mathematical or logical standards — and compare these with how AI systems are designed to learn and make decisions. The discussions reveal that rationality isn’t a simple, universal concept but one that varies across contexts, disciplines, and cognitive frameworks.
Instructors emphasize that the class isn’t meant to teach a fixed doctrine but to help students develop critical thinking tools that will remain relevant as AI technologies evolve. By blending philosophical rigor with technical questions about AI behavior, the course prepares future researchers, engineers, and policymakers to ask deeper questions about the assumptions and implications of designing rational AI systems — a vital perspective as autonomous decision-making becomes more integrated into society.
