Ever since the Carnegie Mellon University of Computer Science launched the first ever undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence in the US, data science circles have been abuzz about whether India should also develop a similar program. Incidentally, UK already stole a march over the US in offering a similar undergraduate degree. In fact, many universities in the UK already offer bachelor’s degrees in computer science with modules in AI which are at par with the aforementioned programme by Carnegie Mellon.
Is it time for India to pioneer new curricula and new degree options for students interested in AI and machine learning? So far, several Indian institutions have partnered with ITEver since the Carnegie Mellon University of Computer Science launched the first ever undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence in the US, data science circles have been abuzz about whether India should also develop a similar program. Incidentally, UK already stole a march over the US in offering a similar undergraduate degree. In fact, many universities in the UK already offer bachelor’s degrees in computer science with modules in AI which are at par with the aforementioned programme by Carnegie Mellon.Is it time for India to pioneer new curricula and new degree options for students interested in AI and machine learning? So far, several Indian institutions have partnered with IT
bellwethers for setting up Centres of Excellence, forging industry partnerships for funding and even attracting industry experts for a faculty with expertise in new tech. Launching a dedicated AI course can be a positive step in getting the next generation ready for employment in this thriving sector. It will also spur research and development activities, build broad research groups, and create paths for them.
Having an AI program embedded in the course curriculum can create real value. It will bridge the talent gap and bring various units together to foster cross-disciplinary instructions. AI brings together disciplines like machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, robotics and human-computer interaction. Similarly, AI program will draw on various faculties — robotics, ML and the computer science department.
CMU’s bachelor’s degree program in computer science teaches students to think broadly about methods that can accomplish a wide variety of tasks across many disciplines, wrote Reid Simmons, research professor of robotics and computer science and director of the new AI degree program in a blog post. CMU’s bachelor’s degree in AI focuses on how complex inputs, such as vision, language and huge databases are used to make decisions or enhance human capabilities. AI majors will receive the same solid grounding in computer science and math courses as other computer science students. In addition, they will have additional coursework in AI-related subjects like statistics, probability, computational modelling, ML and symbolic computation
