AI
StrategyCornell

Certificate Program

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key area of innovation for business and everyday life, and understanding the possible applications of this technology as well as the downstream impacts of these solutions is key to creating a foundation for your work involving AI.

In this course, you will be introduced to AI and examine some of the trends, applications, benefits, and risks associated with AI. You will also explore the origins, evolution, and limitations of AI. You will be challenged to provide examples of how AI is being used in your work environment, in your personal life, and in society at large, noting potential impacts and risks of AI across these areas. You will also unpack some of the social and ethical implications surrounding the use of AI to help solve everyday problems. Finally, you will discover how to examine potential AI applications and identify the critical drivers supporting an AI solution. By the end of this course, you will be set up with the foundational knowledge you need to better understand AI applications and their impact on the world today.

Since the inception of the artificial intelligence (AI) field more than a half-century ago, researchers have devoted considerable time and energy to studying, collecting, and applying human knowledge. To understand your place in this work, it is crucial to explore these concepts yourself.

In this course, you will carefully examine knowledge-based AI technologies and discover how to apply them to common tasks in your personal life as well as your own organization's systems and processes. You will compare and contrast human and artificial intelligence and consider shifts in the field of AI related to human intelligence and rationality. You will also determine how intelligence can be modeled by using intelligent search algorithms and investigate why search alone cannot work for AI agents. You will then explore the importance and application of knowledge-based systems in conversational applications such as Siri and Alexa, customer service and advisory tools in university settings, and chatbots in consumer purchasing. In addition, you will highlight the remarkable progress of conversational AI systems in recent years and how it helps improve the effectiveness of businesses and organizations across many sectors. By the end of this course, you will understand the vital importance of knowledge-based AI technologies to society and business in the modern era.

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has undergone many transformations since its inception in the late 1950s and 1960s. In this century, AI researchers and experts have focused on machine learning approaches, a key application of technology for life today.

In this course, you will review the key dimensions of machine learning and examine some of the major types of machine learning. You will investigate why machine learning is important and explore when machine learning works, when it does not, and what kinds of challenges you may face in implementing it. You will also identify ways in which machine learning is being used to address challenges and solve problems in both your personal and professional lives. By discovering the fundamentals of neural networks, including their strengths and limitations, you will examine how neural networks and supervised learning work. Finally, you will delve into advanced machine learning topics, including “deep fakes,” generative adversarial networks (GANs), reinforcement learning, and dealing with complex worlds, all providing you with valuable perspective on many key technologies impacting society today.

It can be tempting for organizations to be impressed and awed by the sheer power and capability of advanced artificial intelligence (Al) systems. Indeed, AI has the potential to deliver a great many advantages, but organizations must evaluate and deploy these systems thoughtfully and strategically. That is the central focus of this course: Examine ways to implement AI systems that complement the organization's overall mission, vision, and strategy.

In this course, you will gain new perspectives on AI systems and evaluate different ways that AI can be applied in organizations. You will begin to understand that the complexities of implementing AI systems are quite different from those of traditional software systems. You will explore an AI strategy model that organizations can use to identify, comprehend, and manage the different aspects of implementing AI systems. More specifically, you will identify how essential data governance is to the successful deployment of AI systems within organizations. You will also examine how to build people-centered AI systems to help foster creativity and growth. Finally, you will investigate how to build trust in AI systems and reduce biases that can infiltrate even the most sophisticated systems.

The broad adoption of artificial intelligence (Al) in business, government, and society has ushered in serious new questions that impact core human beliefs and values. Today, AI technologies possess the power to do a lot of good in society, but they can also generate deep fakes, misinformation, and disinformation. These malicious byproducts of AI have the potential to disrupt the fundamental tenets of democracy and call into question whether this form of government can function properly in society. How can we come to understand these AI technologies and their broad impacts?

In this course, you will scrutinize the societal implications of AI in areas such as jobs, privacy, ethics, morality, and regulations. Through a series of videos, activities, and course project assignments, you will investigate examples of how AI impacts human rights, values, and beliefs. In addition, you will have an opportunity to analyze the effects of AI on human autonomy and safety and begin to evaluate how AI can influence democracy and freedom in countries around the world. By the end of this course, you will have carefully investigated the breadth and depth of these impacts on our society today.

Since the late 1950s and 1960s, the field of artificial intelligence (Al) has looked to the future. Now more than ever, it is critical to assess where society is heading as these technologies advance and integrate into the lives of people around the world.

In this course, you will peer into the future of AI and explore strategies to preserve human dignity and agency while embracing the benefits of the technology. You will investigate whether generalized AI systems can be achieved. You will also analyze the trends and complexity of GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) and GPT-4 and examine deep learning architectures and algorithms. You will then explore the key questions that boards of directors need to consider to govern the use of AI effectively within their organizations, and you will contemplate how AI will impact the role of leadership and affect the future of jobs. Finally, you will consider pressing issues and questions surrounding AI that must be resolved as we move into the future. By the end of this course, you will gain new perspectives on the outlook for AI technologies and its impacts on humankind.

Symposium sessions feature three days of live, highly interactive virtual Zoom sessions that will explore today’s most pressing topics. The AI Symposium offers you a unique opportunity to engage in real-time conversations with peers and experts from the Cornell community and beyond. Using the context of your own experiences, you will take part in reflections and small-group discussions to build on the skills and knowledge you have gained from your courses.

Join us for the next Symposium, in which we’ll share experiences from across the industry, inspiring real-time conversations about best practices, innovation, and the future of AI. You will support your coursework by applying your knowledge and experiences to some of the most pressing topics and trends in the field. By participating in relevant and engaging discussions, you will discover a variety of perspectives and build connections with your fellow participants from across a variety of industries.

Upcoming Symposium: March 18, 19 and 20, 2025 11AM – 1PM ET

• Tuesday, March 18, 2025 11:00 AM ET – 1:00 PM ET
• Wednesday, March 19, 2025 11:00 AM ET – 1:00 PM ET
• Thursday, March 20, 2025 11:00 AM ET – 1:00 PM ET

All sessions are held on Zoom.

Future dates are subject to change. You may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete any certificate program. Once enrolled in your courses, you will receive information about upcoming events. Accessibility accommodations will be available upon request.