The University of Waikato is launching a four-day short course in Artificial Intelligence in Tauranga.

The aim of the course is to teach people how AI works and how people action AI in their workplace.

'Machines are becoming 'smart' and the organisations we interact with on a daily basis are increasingly using AI to make decisions about us and, in some cases, for us,” says a statement from the University of Waikato.

'Converging technologies, Big Data and machine learning are driving the growth of AI and continue to revolutionise the way we work.

'Gaining a basic business and technical grounding in the principles and practices around AI has become extremely valuable in nearly every field of business.”

That's why the University of Waikato has developed Demystifying AI – a four-day short course designed for employers who are keen to upskill whole teams and for professionals who want to lead the AI charge in their workplace.

Taught by AI expert Professor Albert Bifet, this course aims to enable each student to bring an AI project to fruition and to learn how they can action AI in their workplace right away.

A blend of theory and hands-on practice, Demystifying AI is a stepping stone to mastering the power of AI to drive growth, efficiency and market differentiation.

Albert says investing in upskilling workers to harness AI's potential helps organisations to remain competitive and employees to stay relevant, adaptable and employable.

'In today's ever-changing business landscape, professional development training is no longer a luxury but a necessity,” he says.

But is it possible to explore the fast-moving field of AI while juggling work and without the long-term commitment of tertiary study?

Demystifying AI is geared towards busy professionals who are keen to explore the fascinating possibilities of AI and how this rapidly evolving technology can drive business value and shape the future of work.

This intensive short course comprises 30 hours of workshops held over two parts, offering participants the opportunity to gain a basic business and technical understanding of AI and the risks that need to be carefully navigated along the way.

Demystifying AI is a rare opportunity to get hands-on with AI technologies and be personally mentored by Professor Albert Bifet – a global expert in the field who has worked for tech giants Yahoo and Huawei.

Originally from Barcelona and with more than 150 publications on machine learning methods and their applications under his belt, Professor Bifet is currently leading a $13m MBIE-funded project using AI to help monitor and restore lakes, rivers, forests and estuaries across New Zealand.

Albert says his decision to join the University of Waikato came down to the institution's world-class data science capabilities.

'I'm thrilled to be working for a leader in the field of computer science that is also leading the way in fully leveraging AI technology to support innovation in a safe and ethical way,” he says.

Albert and his team of researchers are currently working on a range of groundbreaking AI projects, including the development of computer vision software that can record occupancy levels at car parks, with the potential to dramatically change the price point for car park management.

This computer vision model will be integrated into park sharing platform Parkable's existing software, using world-leading technologies that enable machine-learning algorithms to run on low-cost computers.

It was only last year that other ingenious technology created by mechanical engineering experts at the University of Waikato, combining AI, machine vision and robotics, was unveiled at Fieldays.

The robotic asparagus picker works via a vision system that detects the asparagus spears, computes their corresponding base location and instructs the robotic arm to cut the asparagus – one of the hardest crops to harvest.

Demystifying AI begins 1November 10.

Dates

Part A: 10 & 11 November

Part B: 23 & 24 November

Location

University of Waikato - Tauranga campus

Registrations now open