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A-I 100: Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea (Fall 2025)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies that are increasingly powerful and ubiquitous are transforming all aspects of our lives – from how we work to how we make sense of the world around us to how we extract knowledge from data to how we diagnose and treat diseases to how we learn to how we interact with others to how we create works of art. To successfully thrive in a world being transformed by AI and to engage meaningfully in helping shape highly consequential societal policies and regulations around AI, every citizen needs a basic understanding AI, its benefits as well as its potential for harm. This course is designed to provide such an accessible understanding of AI.

Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea” will cover key concepts needed to understand recent AI advances, as well as the ethical and societal implications of AI technologies. Students will acquire general AI literacy, including: 

  • Intellectual roots of AI
  • Disparate goals of AI
  • Many types of AI and their applications
  • The risks and benefits of AI technologies
  • The societal impacts of AI technologies
  • How to tell AI science from science fiction
  • Semester: Fall 2025
  • Instructor: Vasant Honavar
  • Who: Students who use this course as:
    • a required course for the B.S., Artificial Intelligence Methods and Applications
    • a custom application focus course or an elective for all other majors in the College of IST
    • a Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) General Education course
    • any undergraduate student across the University interested in gaining a basic understanding of AI
  • When: TR 1:35 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
  • Where: W201 Westgate Bldg
  • Credits: 3.0
  • General Education: Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS)
  • LionPATH Class Number: 26378

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 

  • Discuss the core intellectual foundations of AI.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of different types of AI capabilities.
  • Discuss applications of AI across different areas of human endeavor.
  • Articulate the benefits of AI.
  • Discuss the societal impacts of AI.
  • Articulate the ethical considerations around AI applications.
  • Distinguish AI science from science fiction.
  • Effectively communicate about AI with diverse audiences.