As AI stakes its claim in higher education, colleges and universities across Chicago aim to embrace it

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Across the schools of City Colleges of Chicago, which serves more than 73,000 students a year through its network of multiple public community colleges, AI is being considered widely. The system introduced its first AI degree program at Wilbur Wright College this fall, and students can now earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Development.

The degree is applicable and relevant across all disciplines, from history and law to transportation and distribution, City Colleges' Provost and Chief Academic Officer Mark Potter told the Tribune. He added that before the new program, City Colleges created a district-wide AI steering committee that helped hone and articulate the school's position on AI: Preparing students for an AI-enabled workforce and society is essential.

"We cannot shy away from this technology. We can't bury our heads in the sand or anything like that," Potter said. "We need to ensure that our students have AI competencies, and part of that is responsible use of AI and ethical use of AI, and so that's the position that we started out with, and that we are still carrying forward to this day."

Ideally, Potter said he hopes people recognize City Colleges as a place where they can cultivate their AI knowledge, learn skills and build careers in the field.

City Colleges' Associate Vice Chancellor of technology sector strategy, Ayoka Noelle Mota Samuels, shares a similar vision. The school system is intended to be a space where people can afford to learn AI skills, Samuels told the Tribune, adding, "We're here to teach people, and people can learn AI in a responsible way and know that it's not just transactional."

It's important that City Colleges be a recognizable and trusted place for people of all backgrounds to learn about AI, Samuels said. Beyond that, being part of the larger educational conversation around AI means more people will have access to the field than before, she said.

"If you don't have the education community that is a part of being in leadership around AI, then you do run the danger of different folks being left out," Samuels said. "I can see already that CCC makes sure that people are included at whatever level, at whatever stage of your understanding and interest with AI, and so people are with us to go along the journey with us. I think that's really important for higher ed."

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