Meeting the Changing AI Challenge

It's been less than a year since OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public. In that time, the large language model has fundamentally impacted countless industries, from education to medicine to business. 

While many people struggle with the technology's potential, Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) program has already adapted to prepare students for a new era in AI. 

“AI has been involved in transforming a lot of fields,” MSAI director Kristian Hammond said. “It is incumbent upon us to make sure that our students can lead as opposed to going into organizations and just following along.”  

Since ChatGPT was first made available to the public on Nov. 30, 2022, Hammond has seen a growing excitement — and fear — about the large language model and others similar to it. After evaluating how these generative systems were changing the way the world works, Hammond and his colleagues expect to make adjustments to the MSAI curriculum.  

Hammond believes three different types of thinkers will be needed to meet the new AI challenge.  

There has long been a need for those who can build systems like ChatGPT from scratch. MSAI has historically prepared students to do just that, and the program will continue to educate this type of thinker.  

Beyond that role, Hammond believes two new training opportunities have become apparent.  

First, there is a growing need to educate students about how to control large language models and do so ethically and lawfully. Future leaders will need to think through business problems and be skillful at getting systems like ChatGPT to provide actionable output automatically or semi-automatically.  

There is also the adjoining need for leaders who can integrate AI into existing technology systems.  

“It was crucial that we cover all three of these areas,” Hammond said. “That's what the new program is really all about. It's not just how to build it, but how to build it, control it, and integrate it into your workflow.”  

In addition to updated course material in existing classes, the MSAI program will debut a new generative AI class this academic year. Hammond said a new set of courses will be introduced next year aimed at the three different types of business leaders mentioned above.  

The program is continuing to look forward while also expanding its already well-established relationships with innovative companies — companies he hopes to integrate into the larger MSAI experience. 

The MSAI program is now positioned to create graduates with broad-based skills to meet the new challenges, Hammond said. 

“We want our people to be able to take leadership roles in helping companies transform by bringing these technologies in,” he said. “And we want them to be able to do it well.”