Course Feature – Ghost in the Machine: History, Enchantment and Loneliness in the Age of AI
August 6, 2026
In Professor Bill Janus’s general education course on artificial intelligence, students investigate AI from five broad perspectives: its place in the history of machines and technology; its philosophical implications; its impact on society; its influence on higher education; and its representation in popular culture. These themes raise fundamental questions such as: What is intelligence? What is consciousness? How does AI intersect with capitalism and economic change? What are its implications for democracy? Along the way, students explore competing theories of AI, religious and philosophical perspectives on artificial intelligence, the history of robotics and automated decision-making, portrayals of AI in literature and film, and the profound ways AI is already reshaping everyday life.
Because of its interdisciplinary approach, the course offers something for students from a wide range of majors. Education students will examine how AI has transformed teaching and learning in just the past five years. Business students will explore AI’s impact on the economy, work, and innovation. Psychology students will investigate the nature of intelligence and consciousness, asking whether machines could ever possess genuinely human cognitive abilities. History students will discover how technological change has shaped societies across time and consider how artificial intelligence may influence the future health and resilience of democratic institutions.
Ultimately, Ghost in the Machine demonstrates that history is not simply the study of the past—it is one of the best ways to understand the forces shaping the present and the future. By placing artificial intelligence within its historical, philosophical, and cultural contexts, the course equips students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills they will need to navigate a world that will increasingly be shaped by AI.