On Dec. 4, UW launched a new online, self-paced course on LEARN that focuses on teaching AI literacy skills to faculty, staff, and students. This course is currently open to self-registration and will be available indefinitely.

This course consists of 10 modules and was developed by the faculties of math, engineering, health, and arts. Each module starts with a brief introductory video lasting around two to three minutes to explain the topic the learner will be reading about. The first module goes over basic definitions of an AI system and algorithms, as well as what differentiates it from machine learning. The rest of the modules go on to explore specific applications in different fields like the innovations in the public health sector that were made possible through the use of AI.

The design was purposefully made to feel intuitive and similar to a regular course structure. Depending on the rate of learning, it is estimated that the course will take approximately 25-30 hours to complete. 

Anindya Sen, an economics professor at UW who helped create the course, described that he hoped participants to be able to come away with “an understanding of what [AI] is, to be able to understand or give a definition of what an AI system is, to understand on a high level what machine learning is, what an algorithm is, but more importantly, critical thinking of what it is and what the implications for society.”

Sen went on to explain the importance of understanding AI, especially in an academic setting. With the rise of systems such as ChatGPT created by OpenAI, Sen explained how both students and professors need to adapt and learn how to utilize these new systems beneficially.

While currently offered exclusively to the UW community, Sen hopes this course will eventually be accessible to all of Canada. He emphasized that the importance of understanding AI extends beyond universities, advocating for widespread education and awareness as AI increasingly influences our society. 

However, he also acknowledged that there are significant challenges to making this dream a reality. Universities will require substantial resources to achieve this goal, and no formal plan currently exists for scaling the course to a wider audience. He also highlighted logistical hurdles, such as identifying a suitable platform, determining how the course would be monitored, and establishing a system for responding to emails and questions.