About This Activity
"The rise of powerful AI will be either the best or the worst thing ever to happen to humanity." -Stephen Hawking Many are referring to the current developments in technology as an "AI or Intelligence Revolution” -- but what does this really mean for each of us? This program will explore the fundamentals of AI, including its current capabilities and limitations. Students will read the book You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane, which approaches the subject of artificial intelligence in an accessible and informative manner, looking at how technologies like facial recognition and the algorithms that generate those recommendations on the internet actually work. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding for how fundamental AI building blocks such as neural networks and evolutionary algorithms work, students will examine some of the unfortunate consequences that can occur when AI is assumed to be "neutral" and therefore not programmed to avoid the many biases found in human societies. The book will be supplemented with additional resources (videos, original research, etc.) to help provide further context and perspective. The mostly asynchronous online format will include discussions, assessments, essays, and several synchronous virtual meetings, and will conclude with a live online chat with an author or expert in the field. The time commitment is 2-4 hours per week.
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