Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

AI Ethics in Business (Online)

MGMT 6510-A70

Course: MGMT 6510-A70
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Mgmt & Hotel, Resort, Hosp
CRN: 33907

Course Description

This course explores ethical issues that arise with the development and implementation of artificial intelligence technologies. While many have pointed out the promise of AI to do good for humanity through developments in such areas as medical technology, business optimization, and climate solutions, there are also many ethical concerns regarding the development and implementation of AI technologies. These include privacy and security, bias and discrimination, threats to intellectual property, exploitation, ecological destruction, and more. In this course, we will discuss these topics and others to get a sense of the ethical implications of AI technologies in the modern world. (Fall - 1st Session, Spring - 2nd Session) [Graded Letter] Prerequisite(s): MGMT 6100 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Registration Restriction(s): MBA, MAcc/MBA, MSBA, or CSIA - Management Emphasis majors only

Required Texts

Coeckelbergh, Mark. 2020. AI Ethics. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

*Any other readings will be posted on our course Canvas page. 

Learning Outcomes


By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Explain core ethical principles as they relate to AI ethics and their relevance to organization, management, and business, especially in relation to shareholder and stakeholder values. 
  2. Analyze key ethical concepts that define the emerging research area that is the ethics of AI, especially in relation to business contexts, e.g. autonomy, privacy, algorithmic bias, work, meaningful work, etc. 
  3. Assess ethical dilemmas relating to AI in applied business and management contexts.
  4. Recommend governance and compliance strategies for responsible AI adoption in business and management contexts.

Course Requirements

Participation, Discussion, and Professionalism (20%)

In this class you are held to a standard of professional conduct relative to your position as MBA students. Please make sure to view the lectures, complete all assignments on time, participate in discussion posts, attend office hours, and communicate with me in advance about any troubles you are having in our course.

*Every student is required to (a) participate in at least 4 out of 7 weekly discussion boards and (b) attend at least 1 of Sean’s office hours for discussion of the readings and other course content.

Reading Quizzes (25%)

At the end of each Unit there will be a 15-question timed quiz posted on Canvas for you to complete. The quizzes will consist of true/false, multiple choice, and short answer questions. The quiz will be posted for 3 days, and late quizzes will not be accepted. Given that these quizzes will gauge how well you’ve been keeping up with the reading, you should take them as a reason to do your best to complete the readings for this class.

Short Ethical Analysis Paper (20%)

Your paper should consist of a short (2-3 page) ethical analysis of a recent event in the world of business involving AI, where serious ethical issues were raised. The aim of the analysis will be to give a moral evaluation of the event or action that is in the spirit of one of the ethical theories introduced in Unit 1. For example, you could analyze a recent AI medical mishap according to Consequentialist Ethics. 

Long Argumentative Paper (35%)

Your paper should pick a fight with one of the articles we have discussed in class, disputing the author’s thesis with fair and critical reasons, and then making a positive case for your own take on the topic/theme/concept

Additional directions for the final paper:

·       Length: 8-10 pages. Place a word count (WC) at the top of your paper below the title.
·       No more than half of your paper should be exposition; the rest should be your own positive argument for your thesis 
·       Your writing should be clear and minimize jargon, and your paper should be focused and well-organized. Pick a small fight – you don’t have to disagree with everything in the article you choose.

Course Outline

Provisional Course Outline & Reading Schedule 

Unit 1: What is AI? What is Technology?


Week 1: What is AI? Some Philosophical Foundations

Thomas Metcalf, “Artificial Intelligence: The Possibility of Artificial Minds”
AI Ethics, Chapter 5: “The Technology”

Unit 2: What is Ethics? What is AI Ethics?


Week 2: Ethical and Social Theory 

Shane Gronholz, “Consequentialism and Utilitarianism,” 1000-Word Philosophy
Andrew Chapman, “Kantian Deontology: Immanuel Kant’s Ethics,” 1000-Word Philosophy
David Antonini, “Social Contract Theory: Hobbes, Locke, and the State of Nature,” 1000-Word Philosophy

Week 3: AI Ethics and Values 

AI Ethics, Chapter 1: “Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall”
Joseph L. Breeden, “Reframing the AI alignment problem: insights from business” 

Unit 3: Privacy, Data, and Bias


Week 4: Privacy and Surveillance

AI Ethics, Chapters 6&7: “Don’t Forget the (Data) Science,” and “Privacy and The Other Usual Suspects”
Kevin Macnish, “Being Watched: The Ethics of Targeted Surveillance”

Week 5: Algorithmic Bias

AI Ethics, Chapter 9 (just through page 136): “Bias and the Meaning of Life”
Sina Fazelpour & David Danks, ‘Algorithmic Bias: Senses, Sources, Solutions’

Unit 4: AI and Meaningful Life (and Work)


Week 6: AI, Meaningfulness, and Work

Susan Wolf, 'The Meanings of Lives' (Canvas)
AI Ethics, Chapter 9 (136-144), “The Future of Work and the Meaning of Life”
Documentary: The Future of Work, HBO

Week 7: Utopian and Dystopian Dreams: What AI Ethics Could Be

AI Ethics, Chapter 2: “Superintelligence, Monsters, and the AI Apocalypse”
Unexplainable podcast: Good Robot I and II: “The Magic Intelligence in the Sky,” and “Everything is Not Awesome.”


Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work 

Life happens. It is fine to turn in work late provided you communicate with me in a timely fashion about your situation and whatever predicament kept you from completing your work on time. This is a bit of professional conduct that I expect from you. Though of course exceptions can be made in certain emergency situations, in general I ask that you keep an open line of communication with me regarding any matters that are interfering with your ability to complete the work for our course. If you have not communicated with me about what is going on with you, and then work comes in late, it will be graded accordingly. 
 
Late writing assignments: I have no hard and fast policy on how much your grade on a writing assignment will suffer if it is late, though the longer you go without turning it in, the more likely I am to penalize the assignment in some respect. The key is that you communicate with me in a timely fashion about any problems you might have with turning your work in on time. 

Attendance Policy

N/A (online class)

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Religious / Conscience Belief Accommodation

RELIGIOUS / CONSCIENCE BELIEF ACCOMMODATION: In accordance with SUU Policy 6.7 Student Belief Accommodation, students may request, in writing, that their faculty accommodate their sincerely held religious or conscience beliefs. Students should provide their faculty with sufficient advanced notice, if possible within the first five (5) business days of the semester or session, or thereafter with good cause for requesting an accommodation after the first five (5) business days.

Faculty must provide a schedule accommodation or excuse an absence, in any course, for students to observe or participate in religious holidays or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of the student’s religious tradition or religious organization.

In courses that are required for graduation or for an academic major, a faculty member may accommodate a religious or conscience belief by modifying an assignment or examination if its content conflicts with the student’s belief. Faculty may decline the accommodation if it would fundamentally alter the course requirements. If declined, the student may request review by a neutral arbiter using the Belief Accommodation Request Form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv&layout_id=5

Questions go to Assistant Provost Jake Johnson at johnsonj@suu.edu.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.