Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Full course description

The course starts with an analysis of the question “Can machines think?”, and the preconceptions usually encountered in discussions about that idea. Next, the metaphor of an “intelligent agent” is introduced, that is, of an entity that pursues goals by perceiving and acting flexibly and autonomously in a possibly very complex environment. Several state-of-the-art concepts, algorithms, and methods that enable computers (i.e., software and robots) to solve problems in a way that deserves to be called intelligent are discussed. Besides the technical background, societal and ethical issues around artificial intelligence such as the current quest for human-centered and explainable AI and how computational techniques might lead to biases and misconceptions through incautious data collection are discussed