Local news highlights UC's artificial intelligence programs

Local news media turned to an expert in artificial intelligence at the University of Cincinnati to explain why this technology is becoming integral to so many disciplines in higher education.

UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science offers two master’s programs in artificial intelligence, or AI, while UC Blue Ash offers a new associate degree in AI for Workforce, developed by Intel Corp.

UC Professor Ali Minai is a champion of AI. He has studied this technology for 35 years in his lab in UC’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He holds a joint appointment in UC’s Department of Computer Science.

More than a dozen UC programs touch on AI across five colleges.

“AI is disruptive, but I don’t think people appreciate just how disruptive,” Minai said.

Minai told WLWT-5 that the technology is becoming ubiquitous.

“AI is becoming more integrated into almost everything we do. In some places it’s obvious like self-driving vehicles, drones or ChatGPT. But we use it for all kinds of applications,” he said.

Minai told WLWT-5 that UC students aren’t just learning how to use AI but how to build and troubleshoot it. Students with backgrounds in AI are in high demand across a variety of industries from computer games to finance.

WVXU also spoke to Minai about the growth in AI programs. UC launched its first master’s degree in artificial intelligence six years ago with just a few students.

“This year we had more than 100 applicants and 35 or 40 of them will be here in the fall,” he told WVXU.

Minai said society needs more AI literacy to educate people about the ways both good and bad that AI is being used today. Any technology can be misused, he warned.

But UC graduates will play a big role in shaping the technology, he said.

“Students are very excited about AI,” he said.

Watch the WLWT story.

Featured image at top: UC's programs in artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly popular. Photo/Imaginima/Unsplash