Language of Deception and Influence

This unit introduces the foundations of artificial social intelligence, the historical and philosophical context exemplified by the Turing Test, and the psychological techniques behind persuasion, propaganda, advertising, and social engineering. Students will study real-world examples of deception, bots, and cybercrime to prepare for technical defenses and ethical decision-making in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the concepts and historical development of artificial social intelligence, including the Turing Test and the semblance of social intelligence in modern systems
• Evaluate social engineering, persuasion, propaganda, advertising, and cybercrime techniques by identifying underlying psychological principles and common attack patterns
• Demonstrate the ability to detect and categorize deceptive communications and automated bot behaviors using case studies and simulated artifacts
• Apply ethical reasoning to assess the weaponization of social intelligence and propose practical mitigation strategies and personal/organizational best practices