AI and the Humanities: Designing Empathy into Digital Interactions - evening class

Course overview

This course explores the design and implementation of Artificial Intelligence systems that foster politeness, cooperation, and human-centred communication.

Guided by Dr Tatiana Codreanu, participants will delve into the cultural and ethical considerations of building polite AI, drawing from the fields of sociology, linguistics, philosophy and cognitive psychology.

The course is designed to enable learners to gain practical experience designing AI systems that demonstrate empathy, respect and cultural sensitivity, alongside equipping participants with a strong theoretical understanding of these principles.

Each class is practical and hands-on. We use Discord for communication and to share learning materials throughout the course.

This course is ideal for professionals, educators and innovators interested in designing AI tools that prioritize humane and effective communication.

Basic familiarity with AI apps, such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek, or Gemini would be useful. If new to such tools, please visit chat.deepseek.com and experiment by asking it questions.

Reading material or special equipment needed (if any)

We recommend bringing to class a laptop with a recent operating system, as the course includes hands-on work with AI tools and AI agents that are not fully supported on tablets or iPads.

Term dates

•  Spring Term: week beginning 12 January 2026 until week ending 20 March 2026

Any questions?

If you have any questions about the content of this course please contact the tutor, Dr Tatiana Codreanu: t.codreanu@imperial.ac.uk

If you have any questions about enrolment please contact the Imperial after:hours Administrator, Christian Jacobi: c.jacobi@imperial.ac.uk

Class recordings

These classes are not recorded.

Imperial certificates

There are no examinations or assessments for this course. However, attendance can lead to the award of an Imperial attendance certificate (T&Cs apply).