Will.i.am shares vision for student AI projects at Arizona State University
Will.i.am on teaching AI at Arizona State | ASU All Access
Will.i.am outlines his mission to use student AI projects to solve real-world problems internationally.
Musician and philanthropist will.i.am sat down exclusively with FOX 10 as he embarked on his second year as an Arizona State University professor.
The backstory:
He teaches "AI Agentics" and said this year’s lessons aim to make a global impact. He says it's a human-centric mission, aided by artificial intelligence, tailored to tackle problems facing the world and generate real solutions.
"Unit 2 is shaping up to be … I wish I was a student!" will.i.am said.
From crafting chart toppers to crafting curriculum, the rapper and producer said he is thrilled to be back for a second year teaching students at Arizona State University.
In a one-on-one interview with FOX 10, he shared that the artificial intelligence systems used in his classes, known as agents, feature new tools compared to last year's systems.
"Now your agent’s able to hop on Google Meets and Microsoft Team calls on your behalf, alongside you, ahead of you, and because you configured it with your beliefs and concerns. You can feel comfortable that your agent represents your mission," will.i.am said.
Will.i.am returns to teach AI at ASU
Will.i.am speaks with FOX 10 about returning for his second year teaching AI Agentics at Arizona State University. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
Dig deeper:
That mission is simple: find a local problem, and use AI to fix it.
"We’ve curated inner city and rural conundrums, and we mentor and inspire our students to pick a problem, and they tackle that problem with their agent," will.i.am said.
While those specific problems have not been chosen yet, will.i.am said the top three projects will be funded through a partnership with Amazon Web Services. He hopes the solutions will reach communities far from the campuses where he is teaching.
"There are problems in the Global South and I want to teach our students to research the problems and aim to solve those problems and with the ITU, the United Nations, go and bring those solutions to the ITU and those communities there," will.i.am said.
Students will sign a declaration of co-dependence with their agent as they work to solve these real-world issues.
"We all co-depend on how empathetic, how humanistic the agent is," will.i.am said. "Our accountability, our responsibility, as you know, civil agentic engineers, if you will."
Will.i.am details new AI agent capabilities and student projects in his Arizona State University class.
What's next:
Meanwhile, the role of professor is one will.i.am hopes to continue expanding on, just as he spent decades growing his music career.
"It’s an honor," will.i.am said. "This partnership is like, I can’t believe it. The more I think of it, but, just like Interscope was monumental and fundamental to the person I am today, Arizona State is monumental and fundamental to the person I’m gonna be when I’m 71."
The musician said these projects remind him of the 2002 hit "Where Is the Love?" and his ever-present desire to find that love and make the world a better place.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from will.i.am, musician, philanthropist, and Arizona State University professor; Amazon Web Services; the International Telecommunication Union; the United Nations; Interscope; and FOX 10.