A Step Ahead: Master AI With the USC

“I’m completely optimistic about the future of AI.”

Those were the words of Daniel Klapper, the USC’s Vice-President Student Services.

It may surprise you to learn that both the USC and Western University welcome the rise of AI. In 2023, the university became the first in Canada to appoint a Chief AI Officer.

Professor Mark Daley, Western’s choice for this brand new role, wants the school to “use AI as much as possible.” 

In light of this, the USC is bringing students a series of educational AI events!

The USC AI Peer Learning Program

After pitching the idea to Daley, Klapper launched the USC’s AI Peer Learning program. His goal is to level the playing field when it comes to using AI in the classroom or workplace.

“Not every student is aware of what’s out there,” he said. “We want to get everyone comfortable using AI responsibly in their academics.”

Hoping to run a total of five peer-to-peer sessions throughout the year, Klapper announced the next, held from 6 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26:

“This month, we’re showing students how to use AI for things like literature reviews, data analysis, and citations. It’s pretty applicable to anyone in history, political science, english, philosophy, MIT; really, anything that has to do with research and writing!”

Led by two Western students and featuring guest speaker William Turkel, a History professor studying the use of AI in his field, the session offers new insights for all students regardless of their prior knowledge of AI.

“It’s a constantly changing technology and there’s always more to learn,” Klapper stated. “Even if Mark Daley himself spent a month away from his computer, he’d have new things to learn when he comes back.”

AI in Practice

Klapper, himself a graduate of Western’s history program, spent countless hours experimenting with AI models like ChatGPT and Claude when they first came out.

Experienced with using AI responsibly in both academics and the workplace, he notes that the skills taught in the program are helpful in a wide range of subjects.

“Even if you only come to the research and writing session, you’ll learn AI skills you can apply to other areas as well,” he shared.

He does, however, acknowledge the use of AI tools is still frowned upon by some professors.

“Questions like ‘is this going to be used for cheating?’ are honestly completely valid,” he admitted. 

Although he understands these concerns, Klapper doesn’t think the solution is to suppress the use of the technology:

“Like it or not, AI is here to stay, and it’s only going to get more powerful.” 

Harnessing the Power of AI

Klapper’s vision is instead to reshape Western into a school that encourages students to use AI in a way that is both ethical and beneficial to learning.

“We’re trying to make sure Western stays as a relevant university when it comes to AI,” he explained. “Part of my goal for this program is to prove that AI doesn’t have to be this controversial thing. There’s a way to use it properly, without violating any policies.”

The upcoming session will be held from 6 – 8 p.m. on November 26, at the Collision Space in the Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Built in 2023, this brand new building is a fitting place to teach students about a new technology!

AI is rapidly evolving, and the USC wants to help you stay a step ahead.

Get your tickets and don’t miss out!