CS 4804: Introduction to AI

Course description

This course introduces the principles and methods of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a focus on how classical approaches connect to modern advances such as large language models (LLMs). Students will study core AI topics including search, logic, probabilistic reasoning, and machine learning, and see how these foundations evolved into today’s neural architectures. The course then explores key modern topics such as transformers, pretraining, post-training, prompting, and generative models. Broader applications in natural language processing, computer vision, robotics, and multimodal AI, along with issues of ethics and safety, will also be covered. Students will gain practical experience through coding assignments and a project, which prepares them to understand, apply, and critically evaluate both classical and contemporary AI systems.

Prerequisites No prerequisites are required for this course; however, the following could be helpful:

• Familiarity with basic statistical concepts
• Proficiency in Python programming

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• Time: Tuesday & Thursday 2:00 - 3:15 PM
• Location: Derring Hall 3083
• Contact: Students should ask all course-related questions on Piazza. For personal matters or emergencies, please email all of us at cs4804instructors@gmail.com. For anonymous questions or comments, please use this form.

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