IIT Hyderabad Launches New Liberal Arts Course In Artificial Intelligence And Humanity

The Department of Liberal Arts from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad has launched a Minor in 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Humanity'.

The main aim of the course is to understand, question, and shape ways in which AI technologies are being incorporated into the fabric of everyday life. This Minor will expose students to exciting opportunities and challenges presented by AI.

IIT Hyderabad said, "Students will benefit from thinking beyond the purely technical aspects of AI: humanities and social science scholars will team up with engineers and designers to offer wide-ranging interdisciplinary perspectives on AI and Humanity as part of this newly launched Minor by the Department of Liberal Arts."

Dr Aalok Khandekar, Assistant Professor of Anthropology/Sociology, Department of Liberal Arts, IIT Hyderabad, said, "There is so much excitement about AI these days, about their transformative potential in terms of ushering in nothing short of a fourth industrial revolution. And indeed, we are already beginning to see the permeation of AI-based chatbots and such into routine everyday transactions."

"Many of the projected uses of AI are also really exciting: I was recently involved in discussions about what AI might mean for pursuing sustainability goals, for example. And several wildlife conservation experts that I spoke with are truly enthused by the possibilities that machine learning can enable in terms of cataloguing biodiversity," he added.

The Minor in 'AI and Humanity Minor' is open to students from the second year onward.