Cybernetic or cyber-physical systems (CPS), already surround us, and are increasingly being designed to make decisions that previously required human insight and input. In order to ensure humanity maximally benefits from these new advances in technology, the world will need practitioners who can holistically consider and manage the potential impacts of CPS on humans, each other, and our world.
Assurance is the mechanism by which risk is identified and managed in an informed and strategic way. Identifying, predicting, and mitigating risk is already known to be a challenging proposition in complex technical systems, but the possibility that a CPS is capable of evolving beyond its initial state adds an additional dimension to this challenge.
There has been a great deal of focus on ethics as it relates to assuring components of CPS, including advanced artificial intelligence, data analytics, algorithmic-based decision making and next generation process automation. If we can program a CPS with ethical guidelines, the reasoning goes, then it will make decisions in line with human interest, even as it learns from its surroundings. But ethics are socio-cultural objects, which is to say they are contextual, cultural, contingent and contested. They change over time, and across geographies and cultures. Building ethics into technical systems is a complicated proposition.
Safely scaling technical systems will take more than just an awareness of ethics; it will also require awareness of existing, and the creation of new, assurance and risk management practices. In this context, assurance is the mechanism by which risk is identified and managed in an informed and strategic way.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Investigate different CPS at scale, from the first step of data collection through to the output, describing all elements necessary to provide assurance about the CPS (and other interconnected CPS, if applicable);
- Understanding the governance mechanisms in which relevant decisions are made with respect to CPS, and be able to communicate with influence;
- Evaluate and transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
- Engage successfully and confer effectively with peers from a variety of backgrounds to share prior practical skills, learn from others, and work collaboratively; and
- Demonstrate expert, specialised cognitive and technical skills for CPS assurance.
Indicative Assessment
- Project based assessment (75) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Portfolio assessment (25) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
We expect participants to dedicate around 10 hours per week to this course, for twelve weeks. This will comprise:
- three hours per week classwork; and
- seven hours per week dedicated to self-study, reading, and group projects.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
None
Preliminary Reading
Resource lists for this course will include a wide variety of materials, including books, articles, films, art and podcasts. Participants are not expected to read every source themselves. Generally, participants will have time to select and discuss a particular approach or framework that they will engage with.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $4740 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
