IBM Watson and Udacity: Online AI Learning for Developers
IBM Watson and Udacity are partnering to deliver a new nanodegree in artificial intelligence, providing developers the opportunity to learn the technology online. The curriculum for this program is co-developed by IBM Watson and Udacity. Didi Chuxing, a Chinese ride-hailing company, and IBM plan to hire graduates from the nanodegree program. Amazon Alexa is also advising Udacity in developing this new AI nanodegree. Udacity founder Sebastian Thrun states that this nanodegree is geared towards individuals who already have a level of mastery in software development. Rob High, Vice President & Chief Technology Officer of IBM Watson, wrote in a company blog post that this nanodegree they are developing with Udacity should teach students to build apps or platforms using game
playing and search, logic and planning, computer vision and natural language processing, among other things. Asked if this nanodegree would also include curriculum that covers ethical considerations in artificial intelligence, Thrun politely but adamantly said: “No. There’s a lot of fear mongering these days in the AI field. AI is not about to take over or destroy the world. Instead, it’s going to free us of repetitive mindless work. Say you are doing an office job and every day you do the same thing. At some point an AI watching you will make you one hundred times more efficient at your job, and it will free up a lot of your time. I think AI is to the human mind what the steam engine was to the human body…I see this as positive news for the world.” The Udacity AI Nanodegree is comprised of two, 13-week terms, the first of which will open in early 2017. The curriculum is still being developed. Yes, the AI nanodegree will be taught by humans. But no, Udacity hasn’t ruled out the development of artificially intelligent apps to help those teachers do their work, Thrun said. Udacity faces competition from the likes of EdX, Coursera and other edtech platforms that want to teach workers the skills they need for solid careers in a tech-driven economy.
