“Artificial Intelligence has been around for decades, but once ChatGPT came around, it became a generative tool,” UW-Eau Claire’s Michael Carney said. “This level is new and that’s why we’re doing this now. We’re first to the table.” (Photo by Maddie Kasper / The Spectator)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic for several years, but for UW-Eau Claire, the ever-changing field also offered the chance to be the first to bring a curriculum built around AI to students.
On Feb. 7, the official UW-Eau Claire website shared that the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved both an AI bachelor of science and bachelor of arts. The AI program will include a certificate, minor, non-comprehensive major, and comprehensive major.
Alex Smith, the department chair of computer science, said they are looking forward to hosting both comprehensive and non comprehensive AI majors. “The comprehensive major is more for STEM students — it requires more math and computer science courses,” Smith said. “The other AI major we call “AI liberal arts” is a 36-credit major that requires a minor.”
According to Smith, the AI liberal arts major will be more accessible to any student, not only computer science students. Smith said those interested in business, humanities, and social sciences can take on a double major or a minor in AI. He wants to allow students to step back and take a look at AI from a bigger perspective within their discipline so they have specialized expertise to bring to whatever field they choose to work in.
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We didn’t want to be late to the table. We’re the first school that actually put something together.
There are two schools, UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point, that are also wanting to put Artificial Intelligence majors before the Board of Regents. Being first out of the gate was wonderful, and it got us to a point where we can start to recruit students for this right now.
MICHAEL CARNEY
VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Michael Carney, the vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the AI liberal arts major will be a great opportunity for students who want to understand AI on a deeper level but not in the context of the math behind it.
“The comprehensive major will take a deep dive into basically the computer science and math of artificial intelligence,” Carney said. “You can imagine that not everyone wants to take that huge deep dive into computer science or math but they want to know ‘what is this whole AI thing?’”
Smith said part of the curriculum that will be very important is making AI algorithms more transparent in order to better understand the human intentions behind the technology.
“One very important course in the curriculum for all AI students is AI 350 (Human-Computer Interaction),” Smith said. “It’s a big part of AI because humans have to interact with AI, and it’s making sure that students understand the value and necessity of the out rhythms being explainable.”
According to Smith, human interaction with AI is becoming increasingly unavoidable. “It’s going to increase, but we want to make sure as it increases that it gets better,” Smith said. “We want to make sure that throughout the curriculum we weave in ethical considerations. Making sure students understand the impact of AI on the workforce and on human individuals.”
Carney hopes that, by taking a deeper dive into AI, people can learn to understand it better and use it more effectively. He wants it to become an efficiency tool rather than a job replacement.
Currently, UW-Eau Claire does not plan to add AI courses as a requirement for any other majors. However, both Smith and Carney said they see AI courses’ inclusion in the school benefiting different fields. For example, Peter Hart Brinson, a sociology and communications professor, has been planning an elective course for communications and journalism students called “AI in Media,” according to Smith.
UW-Eau Claire is looking forward to the inclusion of an AI program, and being the first school to have AI majors. The school estimates 165 students will be part of the program by the end of its fifth year, with 70 students graduating from the program.
“We didn’t want to be late to the table. We’re the first school that actually put something together. There are two schools, UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point, that are also wanting to put Artificial Intelligence majors before the Board of Regents,” Carney said. “Being first out of the gate was wonderful, and it got us to a point where we can start to recruit students for this right now.”
This article was originally published by The Spectator, UW-Eau Claire’s student newspaper, on Feb. 20 and has been lightly edited for publication in Volume One • UW-Eau Claire’s media release about its AI program can be viewed online
