The essential AI course for all Cornell students.

Dive into the transformative world of artificial intelligence and get ahead in an AI-forward future! Available to any major at Cornell, this course teaches students from any background how AI works and how to use it effectively.
 
Students will learn how modern AI systems work, demystifying the models behind chatbots, agents, image generators, and more. They will also develop a critical lens for evaluating AI's societal impact, examining issues ranging from privacy and creative authorship to bias, labor, and the environment. Finally, the course will teach students how to use AI effectively with hands-on activities and projects. Students will learn to responsibly integrate advanced AI agents into their studying and research workflows, and build custom software tools using AI-powered coding agents. By the end of the course, they will be well equipped to work with AI confidently, critically, and responsibly.

 

TITLE: INFO 1720, Introduction to Applied AI
SCHEDULE:
LOCATION:
PREREQUISITES: none

The Curriculum

This course is a gateway for students of any major or background to delve into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. By the end, participants will confidently navigate and apply AI with both technical skill and ethical awareness.

  • Explore the core technologies powering AI systems, including large language models that drive tools like chatbots and image generators.
  • Learn the basics of machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing in an accessible way.
  • Analyze the broader implications of AI, from data privacy to labor dynamics and creative authorship.
  • Understand how bias creeps into AI systems and assess the consequences on equity and fairness.
  • Develop hands-on strategies for incorporating AI into academic workflows while maintaining a critical lens.
  • Explore how to responsibly integrate AI into research, studying, and productivity.
  • Gain practical experience in creating custom tools using AI-powered coding assistants.
  • Experiment with coding applications to solve real-world problems.
  • Leave the course equipped to interact with AI thoughtfully, use it effectively, and engage with its ethical challenges.
  • Shape your perspective as both a user and a potential innovator in the AI space.

Course Development Team

This course is developed by leading experts at Cornell Bowers who are driving technology, humanity, and society forward as one. Their guidance will help you build both practical skills and a critical understanding of AI’s role in shaping the future.
 


Instructor

jacob matthews

LISA HUANG
Assistant Teaching Professor of Information Science

Lisa Huang is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Information Science at Cornell University. Her teaching and research focus on human-AI interaction in programming systems, with a particular interest in building programming support for non-programmers. She is also interested in understanding how programmers of all kinds reason about code and debugging, and how programming systems can be designed to better support their needs. Her work spans human-computer interaction, AI-assisted programming, and computing education, and has appeared in venues such as CHI, ICSE, SIGCSE, and VL/HCC..
 

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Advisors

 

sorin lerner

SORIN LERNER
Dean, Cornell Bowers
Professor of Computer Science

Sorin Lerner is the dean of the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science. A professor of computer science, his research focuses on providing programmers with tools to make software more secure and reliable. Prior to joining Cornell, Lerner served as chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. There, he helped guide the launch of a new major in artificial intelligence, as well as an online master of data science program, the first fully online degree program at the university.
 

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CLAIRE CARDIE
Associate Dean for Education
John C. Ford Professor of Engineering in the Departments of Computer Science and Information Science

Claire Cardie is the John C. Ford Professor of Engineering in the Departments of Computer Science and Information Science. She was the founding chair of the Department of Information Science and led the development of its academic programs. Cardie works in the area of Natural Language Processing (NLP) on topics ranging from information extraction, text summarization, and noun phrase coreference resolution, to the automatic analysis of opinions, argumentation, and deception in text.
 

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David Mimno

DAVID MIMNO
Department Chair, Information Science
Professor of Information Science

David Mimno is a professor and chair of the Department of Information Science. He holds a Ph.D. from UMass Amherst and was previously the head programmer at the Perseus Project at Tufts and a researcher at Princeton University. His work has been supported by the Sloan foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Science Foundation.
 

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STEVE JACKSON
Professor of Information Science
Vice Provost for Academic Innovation at Cornell

Steve Jackson is a professor of information science and science & technology studies, with additional graduate field appointments in communication and public affairs. He is also the former chair of information science and former dean of William Keeton House. Since July 2023, he has also served as Vice Provost for Academic Innovation at Cornell.  
 

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