On November 30th, 2022, ChatGPT launched and undeniably changed the workforce. With over 100 million users active weekly, this large language model-based chatbot launched a new era of artificial intelligence (AI) innovation across industries.
When it comes to must-have skills for navigating the workforce, AI and machine learning ranked among the top three, according to the Coursera 2024 Job Skills Report. At the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program, we strive to equip students with resources for success by providing cutting-edge curriculum.
In response to the rapid growth of AI in the workforce, we introduced our brand-new course, Special Topics: Basics of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, designed to teach “AI for the rest of us.” This course provides the foundational knowledge and practical skills essential for navigating the AI landscape for students without a technical background. This course premiered in the fall 2023 semester. Here’s how it went.
Embarking on an AI Journey
This course is taught by industry experts. Bob Warfsman has over 18 years of technical engineering experience at Hitachi and holds a Master of Business and Science (MBS) degree.
Jay Yogeshwar holds an MBA and a doctorate in electrical engineering and deployed AI applications while working at Hitachi.
Kim Amaral is an MBS student and full-time AI researcher. Having participated in our Applied AI: from Concept to Market class, Amaral started as an intern and has now joined Warfsman and Yogeshwar as co-instructor.
"This is like the seed,” said Amaral, “and now you are seeing the flowers from the MBS course. It is an amazing experience."
Insights and Takeaways
Basics of AI and Machine Learning aims to make AI concepts accessible to students without a rigorous coding background while keeping the curriculum hands-on. To achieve this, the instructors crafted visualizations and practical exercises to demonstrate AI and machine learning principles, guiding students to solve problems with little to no coding skills. There is also a significant emphasis on applications of AI and machine learning across multiple disciplines, and their relationship to specific machine and deep learning architectures.
A key highlight of the course was the integration of four hands-on workshops that provide real-world context. This allowed students to address specific business challenges using AI tools. The class also featured guest lectures from industry experts to share insights on applying AI in various sectors.
“We have people with huge and tremendous expertise in the market, with great ideas and great presenters,” said Amaral.
Because this course is open to students of all backgrounds, the instructors provided tailored content and additional resources to support students' learning paths. Assignments blended individual and group work to foster diverse perspectives, with instructors providing supplemental AI articles and videos tailored to each student's background.
It’s no secret that change is constant in the world of AI. This course requires regular revisions to ensure that students stay up-to-date with emerging AI trends, said Yogeshwar.
“We ensure that we have the latest and greatest information,” Yogeshwar said.
Student feedback played a vital role in refining the course, with a focus on enhancing visualizations and incorporating more business use cases.
As Amaral summarized, "The guest lecture part, we will continue. Everybody loved it. The workshops were spot on, so we'll keep that."
In our rapidly evolving AI landscape, the class offers a unique opportunity to move beyond theory and dive into real-world AI applications. If you are interested in this course, it will run again in fall 2024 under the updated name Basics of AI for Science Professionals and course code 16:137:563. To learn more, check out our course description page.