Beginning this week, UT will launch a new AI literacy course to provide students with the skills needed to adapt to the ever-increasing role played by AI in educational and professional spaces. 

A collaboration between UT’s Department of Computer Science and the research grand challenge Good Systems, “The Essentials of AI for Life and Society” is a one-semester, one-credit-hour course open to all members of the UT community, including non-computer science majors and University faculty. 

The course is designed to provide a basic understanding of the functions, applications and impacts of AI, said Peter Stone, director of Texas Robotics and founding member of Good Systems. 

“In today’s world, pretty much everybody, no matter what their discipline, what their major, they’re going to be interacting with artificial intelligence systems,” Stone said.

Despite concerns about AI replacing jobs, a study conducted by the World Economic Forum found that AI is expected to create 97 million new jobs. Sharon Strover, chair of Good Systems and professor in the School of Journalism and New Media, said she hopes the course will give students the tools necessary to actively participate in discussions about new and evolving applications for AI. 

“There are a million ways really in which being more literate about these technologies will enable us to figure out not only how to use them right now, but what some future applications might be,” Strover said. 

Computer science assistant professor Joydeep Biswas and professor Don Fussell will co-teach the class with Stone. The University and Good Systems designed the class to be lightweight and palatable for those without computer science experience, Stone said. The first two-thirds of the semester will focus on the technical aspects of AI, and the final third of the semester will focus on the societal implications of AI. In addition to its three core professors, the class will feature many guest speakers, giving students access to a diverse rotation of AI expertise. 

“For any student to have access to the people who are right in the middle of the technology as it’s in this early development and takeoff phase, what an opportunity,” Strover said.

Students can register for the course through Sept. 7, with auditing options available. 

“The whole point of this is to spur discussion or to open peoples’ eyes to the way the field that I’ve been working in my whole career works,” Stone said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how people react.”