Michigan State University to teach AI skills across all majors
Michigan State University has joined the ranks of universities integrating artificial intelligence into its curriculum campuswide.
The Associated Press reported this week that MSU administrators are prioritizing AI as part of an effort to bolster the state’s workforce. The AI courses are not mandatory, as they have been made in some universities, but they will be made available across a variety of disciplines.
As way of explanation, Sanjay Gupta, a council co-chair, offered the AP such explanations as “higher ed is gravitating in that direction” and “every business is a technology business.”
The new effort is being funded by a $5 million gift to the university from an anonymous alumnus. Additionally, the university may provide students with “real-world experiences” and boost collaboration between MSU researchers and industry to tackle social challenges.
Michigan State University is indeed being pulled by the gravity of other institutions to have taken similar measures. Penn State’s business school announced last November that it was adding AI tools to its classrooms, research and operations. Ohio State University in June announced it was embedding AI into its undergraduate programs, including generative AI workshops and an “unlocking generative AI” course, designed to help students craft prompts. Purdue University is requiring all its students to demonstrate “AI working competency,” a designation that includes five categories.
