By Anuradha Kar, Associate Professor of AI & Robotics at aivancity
As AI continues to transform the way we live, work, and connect with one another, it is more crucial than ever to ensure that its advancement is guided by both ethical principles and practical business considerations. With AI reshaping industries and societies at an unprecedented pace, its development must be firmly anchored in a deep ethical understanding and a clear grasp of real-world applications. Instilling these values early in students’ academic paths is key to fostering a mindset that prioritizes responsibility, fairness, and societal impact alongside technological innovation.
These principles were the driving force behind the 2025 aivancity–IIITBangalore Collaborative Summer Learning Program which took place at the aivancity Paris-Cachan campus between May 13-21 2025. As academic partners, IIITB and aivancity share a deep connection and participated in two fantastic bi-directional student learning programs in 2025, one wing of which involved aivancity hosting a weeklong summer learning program for IIITB students and faculty.
Tailored for first-year graduate students from the AI and Data Science Bachelor of Technology program at IIIT Bangalore the program offered a unique, week-long learning experience for 13 IIITB students who were hosted by aivancity. The head of the AI and Data Science department at IIITB, Professor Dinesh Babu Jayagopi also accompanied the students during the trip. The program immersed students in the critical intersection of AI, ethics, and business, preparing them to navigate the complex challenges of the future. Grounded in the shared Franco-Indian vision of advancing collaboration and excellence in AI research and innovation as discussed in the article (https://lnkd.in/ehc_z5-i) by aivancity professor of law Dr. Nathalie Devillier, the program provided an intensive, interdisciplinary experience that bridged both national and academic boundaries—fostering deeper connections between the faculty and students of aivancity and IIIT Bangalore than ever before.
As professor at aivancity, I had the opportunity to contribute to this summer learning program by teaching a course on Explainable AI and co-organizing hands-on project sessions focused on AI and ethics, along with interactive sessions that explored the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence. It was a privilege to mentor a talented and enthusiastic cohort of visiting students from IIIT Bangalore, who engaged thoughtfully with the complex interplay between AI technologies, ethical considerations, and their real-world implications.
In this article, I reflect on my experience participating in various facets of the program including student projects, dynamic group discussions, and interdisciplinary course components that together fostered a rich and impactful academic environment.
The learning program structure and philosophy
The aivancity–IIITBangalore Summer Learning Program 2025 was thoughtfully designed to blend theoretical inquiry with practical application, reflecting a holistic philosophy that AI must be developed and deployed responsibly within complex social and economic ecosystems. The curriculum was interdisciplinary by design, combining courses in AI ethics, technology regulation, ethics by design, and AI and business strategy along with core technical modules—such as machine learning, data analysis and visualization, AI project workflow, and explainable AI. Students engaged with philosophical and regulatory dimensions of AI, exploring how ethical principles can be embedded from the earliest stages of system design.
A diverse ensemble of multidisciplinary faculty from aivancity brought their expertise to the program, delivering a curriculum that seamlessly integrated ethics, legal regulations, business strategies, and core concepts in AI and data science. This holistic approach culminated in hands-on projects with students that demonstrated not only their technical understanding of AI techniques but also their grasp of the associated ethical and strategic considerations. Students collaborated in teams to engage in interactive sessions, critically exploring ethical dilemmas in AI application scenarios through structured discussions. This comprehensive structure ensured that participants emerged not only with strong technical capabilities, but also with the ethical awareness and business acumen essential for responsible innovation in a global landscape.
As part of the immersive experience, the program also included curated visits to key institutions such as UNESCO and the office of the Île-de-France Region. These visits offered the Indian students a unique opportunity to engage with the cultural, social and technological landscape of France.
The Interactive session and hands on projects bridging AI and Ethics
Besides delivering a course on explainable AI as part of the school program introducing students to core concepts such as model interpretability and explanation techniques I also co-organized an interactive session along with several hands-on project sessions with the IIITB students. These sessions provided the students with a practical opportunity to explore the intersection of AI and ethics through end-to-end machine learning (ML) workflows. Each project addressed a real-world machine learning challenge—spanning domains such as agriculture, energy efficiency, finance and education. After developing and evaluating their ML models, students were instructed to present a thoughtful analysis of the ethical issues surrounding their work, including concerns related to data privacy, algorithmic bias, fairness, and the broader societal impact of AI deployment. This integrated approach not only strengthened their technical skills but also fostered a deeper understanding of the ethical responsibilities inherent in designing AI-driven solutions.
All the project presentations and associated programming solutions can be viewed here: https://github.com/anuradhakar49/ai-ethics-summer2025
Running in parallel with the hands-on project sessions, there were interactive sessions where students engaged in a collaborative question-answer session designed to bridge real-world applications of AI with the complex ethical questions they often raise. The session began with a brief overview of prominent domains where AI is actively deployed—such as facial recognition, autonomous vehicles, predictive policing, medical diagnostics, and recommendation systems. Students were then divided into small, diverse groups, each assigned one AI use case. Their task was twofold: first, to analyze the practical benefits and challenges of the assigned AI system; and second, to identify and respond to ethical dilemmas associated with its implementation.
Guided by a set of open-ended prompts, each group explored key questions such as: Who is accountable when AI systems make errors? How can bias be detected and mitigated? What are the implications for privacy, fairness, and human oversight? The goal was to encourage students to think critically about how technical design choices intersect with legal, social, and moral considerations. After collaborative discussion, each group presented a summary of their findings to the class. The questions and student group answers may be found here:
https://github.com/anuradhakar49/ai-ethics-summer2025/tree/main/Interactive%20Sessions%20
The session fostered an environment of active learning, dialogue, and reflection, encouraging students to recognize that successful AI deployment depends not only on technical accuracy but also on ethical foresight. By engaging with real-life scenarios and debating responsible decision-making, students developed a deeper appreciation for the nuanced responsibilities AI practitioners face today. This activity reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and highlighted how ethical awareness is integral to the development of AI systems that are both effective and socially responsible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the aivancity-IIITB collaborative learning program provided a distinctive and enriching platform for foreign students to engage meaningfully with both the theoretical foundations and practical applications of ethical AI. Through cross-cultural teamwork, participants explored real-world ethical challenges embedded in machine learning problems and developed innovative project prototypes across key sectors such as energy, finance,, education, and agriculture. Built on a first of its kind interdisciplinary curriculum that integrated ethics, philosophy, machine learning, data science, and entrepreneurship, the program underscored the critical importance of designing AI systems that are not only technologically robust but also socially responsible and economically sustainable. On a personal level, the experience reinforced my conviction in the transformative potential of global academic partnerships to nurture young AI enthusiasts who can be trained to combine technical skills with ethical insight. Moreover, it highlighted the shared commitment of France and India towards the advancement in AI technologies, an alignment that holds promise for deeper collaboration in education, research, and policymaking in the years to come.