Preparing Students to 'Change the World'

The general public is using artificial intelligence (AI) more than ever before thanks to the accessibility of machine learning and large-language models (LLM) like ChatGPT.

But AI is not new, as Kris Hammond, director of Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) program, explained in a new MSAI video.

"AI has been with us and has transformed the way we function online for decades," Hammond said. "Now we have a new wave of AI that is changing things even faster."

The program video highlights how MSAI is training students to navigate that change. 

MSAI is a 15-month, full-time program that goes beyond AI technologies to look at business and global problems that AI can solve. Students learn how to create powerful AI systems that can integrate into workflows, organizations, and human interactions.

"It's pretty clear that AI is going to change everything about how humans live and work," MSAI deputy director Mohammed Alam said in the video. "MSAI students want to be the people shaping the future of AI."

Milan McGraw (MSAI '21), head of generative AI and machine learning for Amazon Web Services, said the varied student backgrounds highlighted his MSAI experience. 

"The biggest reason I chose MSAI was it was in person and a small cohort," McGraw said in the video. "I could learn from others who all have a different skill set, some from a background in computer science, some like me with a background in industry. It was a really good marriage."

One of the highlights of the MSAI experience is the final-quarter capstone project, where students form teams with students from Northwestern's MBAi Program, a joint-degree program offered between the Kellogg School of Management and the McCormick School of Engineering. Each team partners with a client and considers how AI could solve a real business problem.

The most recent round of capstone project topics ranged from enhancing client experiences to exploring how AI could become a useful tool for local governments.

The variety of capstone projects epitomizes what differentiates MSAI students, Hammond said. The program doesn't just teach about the technology behind AI. It teaches students to understand how to use AI to make a difference. 

"We are training the next generation of AI practitioners who understand the technology, what it does and how to utilize it," Hammond said in the video. "More importantly, we train our students how to think about how they, with that knowledge, can change the world."