Keeping up with AI: U of A students tap into new tools of the tech trade

AI Core is a workforce development program offered at the University of Arizona. Students are paid to develop AI solutions.

“The first tier is the class where they’re exploring the databases and the AI integrations and the virtual reality," said Ash Black, Director of AI Core. He also co-teaches the class.

Taoseef Aziz is a student currently part of the AI Core. “This is a space where consumer science students can work with their faculty to kind of research how consumer behavior changes with respect to how they configure the space," Aziz said.

He is talking about creating a 'digital twin' of the Lundgren Consumer Science Lab.

Athena Kehoe

Black explained that this 'digital retailing' can help analyze what people are stopping to look at when they enter the store.

Also in this digital retail version of the retail store is an AI Assistant, Andres.

“Andres is sort of the interaction side of things and the cameras that are overhead are going to be the data analytics… so, two different aspects of AI," Aziz explained.

Kashyab Nedendle is a data science student at the U of A and also part of the AI Core Program. "Its ability to take in information and generate results so quickly is just fascinating to me," Nedendle said.

Black also mentioned that AI can be a danger if it's misused. It can possibly lead to enfeeblement, he explained, "you let the AI do so much work for you that you become incapable of doing simple tasks like getting out of a chair."

But, he doesn't think that should stop students from using it. "I can't imagine that we would be doing a service to our young students if we told them don't use AI that's just nuts, because it's so powerful," he explained. "Yes, there's downsides to it, but they have to learn how to use it."

Black encourages any U of A student, despite their major, to take a class if they're interested in AI. He said the AI Core is also hiring, and they usually hire students after they have completed the course.

Interested students can visit the the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended reality (XR) websites if interested.