Course Description

This class is a 3-credit-hour course designed to be an introduction to Artificial Intelligence that is accessible to non-majors. Each week, students will be required to complete asynchronous work by Tuesday night, consisting of assigned readings, recorded lectures, and written reflections on both. Then, on Thursdays they will be required to attend a live session with the instructor that covers topics raised in the students’ written reflections, as well as small group discussions on assigned topics. They will also be asked to complete 5 non-programming assignments designed to familiarize them with AI algorithms and paradigms, as well as a final project reflecting on the societal implications of a specific AI technology.

There are no prerequisites for this course. Only your curiosity and willingness to explore are needed - no prior technical knowledge required.

This course was designed collaboratively by the Computer Science Department and Good Systems, and is the second iteration of an extended 3-credit-hour version of the course which was offered in the Fall of 2024. It is based on a preliminary, 1-credit-hour version of the course which was offered in the Fall of 2023, and was described in a 2025 publication at the Symposium on Educational Advances in Artificial Intelligence entitled “The Essentials of AI for Life and Society: An AI Literacy Course for the University Community” [Link] [Bibtex].

Course Instructors and Staff

Instructor
Joydeep Biswas, joydeepb@cs.utexas.edu

Teaching Assistants

Course Staff
Kristin Patterson
Andrea Pittard
Kristen Procko
Lea Sabatini