The program, which starts in the fall, is open to all students pursuing studies in any of the 13 different majors offered.
SARASOTA, Fla. — Whether it’s about jobs or national security, artificial intelligence is the latest disruptive technology raising concerns across many industries and governments.
Across the county, several institutions of higher learning are not waiting to see where the technology goes and have started to train students. Ringling College of Art and Design has recently announced that it’s kicking off its own AI certificate program.
“If I want to keep up with the times, I should at least know my enemy,” Jin Guo, a student from Toronto, said.
Guo is a senior at Ringling College studying to be a 3-D animator.
“This is almost like another Industrial Revolution because with the power of AI, you can do hours of work in very few minutes so I feel like if I don’t adapt to this changing environment, I’ll be left behind,” he added.
For Guo and his classmates, AI is the hottest topic inside and outside the classroom.
“All these AI tools online like Stable Diffusion and it’s getting really good. And it’s everywhere. Wherever you go you see this. So the first thing is fear. We don’t understand what this is so we feel repelled by it,” Guo said.
In addition to those fears, ‘AI’ is threatening entry-level jobs that normally go to folks like Guo, who is graduating in a few weeks.
“I remember being online and seeing people taking commission work. For example, they charge $20 an hour and now I see AI artists who say, ‘Give me two dollars, I will draw 30 images with AI for you,'” Guo explained.
To help students stay ready for a future that includes AI, instructors at Ringling College have developed a three-course undergraduate certificate program to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills.
“No one knows exactly how AI is going to impact every business, but it’s going to have an impact and we want our students prepared to be ready for that,” Professor Rick Dakan, the college’s AI coordinator, said.
The coursework will focus on the basics of AI and will explore ethical, legal and moral issues raised by the technology and its application.
“Once students actually engage with the tools, they learn that they can be very powerful, but they can also be very limiting. And that really can be an enhancer to creative imagination,” Dakan said.
Guo is among the few students who have already taken some AI-related courses ahead of the program’s fall start date. He said even with just a few classes, he’s ready to navigate what AI technology brings to his table.
“AI has empowered me, personally, to be more creative and be more artistic. As technology advances, you don’t want to be an ostrich with your head in the sand,” Guo said.
The certificate program is open to all Ringling College students pursuing studies in any of the 13 majors offered.