IBL News | New York
Intel announced this month the launch of its first company-designed Artificial Intelligence Associate Degree in the U.S. The program will enable tens of thousands of students to land careers in high-tech, healthcare, automotive, industrial, and aerospace fields, according to the company.
For the initiative, the semiconductor giant partnered with Tempe, Arizona-based Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), the largest community college district in the country, with over 100,000 students and 10,000 faculty and staff members.
“Community colleges offer the opportunity to expand and diversify AI since they attract a diverse array of students with a variety of backgrounds and expertise,” said Gregory Bryant, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Client Computing Group at Intel.
The AI degree will consist of courses that have been developed by MCCCD’s faculty and Intel leaders based on Intel software and tools such as OpenVINO toolkit and Intel Python.
The Silicon Valley company will also contribute technical advice, faculty training, summer internships, and Intel mentors for both students and faculty members.
Students will learn fundamental skills such as data collection, AI model training, coding, and exploration of AI technology’s societal impact.
The program will include a social impact AI project that is developed with guidance from teachers and Intel mentors. Upon completion, MCCCD will offer an Associate Degree in artificial intelligence that can be transferred to a four-year college.
The program will be piloted online at Estrella Mountain Community College and Chandler-Gilbert Community College in fall 2020. As physical distancing requirements are lifted and the concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic decrease, classes will begin in-person at both campuses.
Intel’s AI associate degree expands on its AI for Youth program, which provides AI curriculum and resources to over 100,000 high school and vocational students in nine countries to date.
Intel recently collaborated with Udacity to create the Intel Edge AI for IoT Developers Nanodegree Program.
