New Course Examines the Social Impact of AI

Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing technology—it’s reshaping how we work, think, and do research. This spring, Utah State students can explore AI’s social and ethical dimensions in SOC 4800: Sociology of Artificial Intelligence. Open to all majors and experience levels, the course combines hands-on learning with big questions: 

Are you intrigued by AI and everything it can do? Are you curious about the impacts it can have socially? Are you wondering what ethics are appropriate when working with AI? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might be interested in taking SOC 4800: Sociology of Artificial Intelligence Spring 2026 (section 002, CRN 19312)!!

Sociology of Artificial Intelligence (SOC 4800 – Section 002)

MWF 12:30–1:20 • In-person at USU main campus • 3 credits

Open to all majors · No prerequisites · No coding required

How to register: In Banner, search SOC 4800, select Section 002 – Sociology of AI.

• Learn 15+ AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, SuperGrok, Nano Banana).
• Customize ChatGPT / Grok for your own research needs.
• Analyze interviews and open-ended responses.
• Build interview guides + surveys with AI.
• Get statistics help with no coding.
• Master prompt engineering for productivity.
• Generate research images and figures with AI.
• Improve your academic writing.
• Audit bias, hallucinations, and ethics.
• Build your own AI agent/custom GPT.
• Why it matters now: Workers with AI skills earn an average of 56% higher wages (PwC); 242,740 AI research publications in 2023 (Stanford AI Index 2024).