As artificial intelligence-powered technologies play an increasingly important role in everyday life, a new podcast from The University of Texas at Austin aims to bridge the gap between tech experts and anyone who may be affected by these technologies. The first episode will be released on Thursday, June 6th.
AI is already impacting how people work, learn, make big decisions and interact, but many of the fundamentals about this technology and the associated risks and benefits may feel unclear. As a collaboration between UT’s College of Natural Sciences and College of Liberal Arts, this new series offers insights under the tagline “AI for the Rest of Us.” It invites experts from across campus and draws on lessons from UT’s recent course, “AI Fundamentals for Life and Society.” Both the podcast and the previous course feature faculty involved with UT’s Good Systems ethical AI project, shedding light on emerging AI technologies and their impact on the public and society.
With the University of Texas at Austin declaring 2024 the Year of AI, “AI for the Rest of Us” will release new episodes every two weeks and provide a summer experience offering the opportunity to hear conversations between leading UT Austin faculty and co-hosts Mark Ehrhart, science communicator in the Natural Sciences department, and Casey Boyle, associate professor of rhetoric and director of the UT Digital Writing Research Lab.
“Everyone's saying AI is going to change everything,” Boyle says. “I'm a critical thinker and a technology user, but any time there's a big declaration like this, I'm a little skeptical. So [with this series]I would love to know more.”
Topics will range from what AI and machine learning are, how new applications will impact areas like education and healthcare, to upcoming changes and concerns in the workforce, democracy, and more. The first episode features Peter Stone, professor of computer science, director of Texas Robotics, one of the core faculty members of Essential Courses and Good Systems, and chair of the multi-institutional AI 100 study. Stone has previously spoken about the impetus for a broad approach at UT to introduce AI concepts to everyone.
“My greatest hope is that participants will leave equipped with the ability to distinguish what is real and what is science fiction, be able to understand the terminology used in the news, be able to apply the lessons learned to real decisions they need to make in their careers, and be able to engage with and inform the public debate about how our society should respond to these new technologies,” he said.
You can listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts, or on the web at aifortherest.net.
