Artificial Intelligence, better known as AI, might scare some, but it’s clearly becoming part of our future, whether we’re ready for it or not.
“If the workforce is demanding at this time for students to have some AI education, and we don’t provide those opportunities for them, then we are doing a disservice to them,” says Lyndsay Munro, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology.
Munro has spent the last couple of years  working and exploring how professors can better use AI in their teaching. Munro is currently working with faculty across disciplines at the University of Nevada to incorporate alternative assessments, both with and without AI, into their classrooms. While Munro acknowledges that some professors can be resistant at first (“Human nature is to be wary of things we don’t understand,” she says), it’s key to know more about what AI can and can’t do when starting to work with it.
"It doesn’t think for us; AI does have limitations,” Munro said.
One thing is clear: having access to this technology allows us to see things from different perspectives and helps us generate new ideas based on resources we already have. This is a foundational idea for the new one-credit weekend course Munro teaches, AI In the Wild: Exploring Artificial Intelligence Through Nature.
One thing is clear: having access to this technology allows us to see things from different perspectives and helps us generate new ideas based on resources we already have. This is a foundational idea for the new one-credit weekend course Munro teaches, AI In the Wild: Exploring Artificial Intelligence Through Nature.
Hosted at the 91·çÃùÄñ³ª, Lake Tahoe, AI In the Wild, will take place from October 17 to 19.
Over the course of three days, Munro hopes students will see how interactive AI can be in any context, even in nature. AI In the Wild will allow students to do hands-on activities outdoors and introduce them to the fundamentals of AI. Students will integrate natural-world observations with AI-powered tools, fostering both technical understanding and creative problem solving. 
Munro says she is excited to spend time on the Tahoe campus and be inspired by its natural beauty. Although nature and AI are on opposite ends of the spectrum, bringing them together is possible, and a bit creative.
The one-credit weekend course has limited capacity, so interested students are encouraged to register soon.
