On Thursday, educators at Gateway Technical College and other Wisconsin technical colleges did just that.
The AI bootcamp training is a partnership between Gateway and Microsoft. It took place at Gateway's SC Johnson iMET Center, 2320 Renaissance Blvd.
Raju, Gateway president and CEO, believes the training will inform educators, who will in turn assist students.
"It's going to help students learn better and perform better," Raju said. "The possibilities are exciting. The possibilities are endless."
About 20 people were there in-person for the training, while others attended remotely.
Participants learned two fundamental Microsoft AI courses.
The training lasted three hours and is the first of three sessions. The next two will occur remotely during the next several weeks.
Michelle Schuler, U.S. program manager of TechSpark Microsoft, said Thursday was the first AI bootcamp training Microsoft has done in Wisconsin.
The goal is for instructors to learn AI skills "and give them the comfort level to bring it into any classroom and teach all students," Schuler said.
Schuler said more companies are using AI, so it is helpful to offer proactive training.
"The rapid adoption of AI is why our educators want to be ahead of that, so they know what's coming," Schuler said.
Takis Kinis, Gateway information technology department chair and web software and data analytics instructor, attended the training.
He said employers he has spoken to are incorporating AI into their businesses, so it is helpful to know more about the technology
"It's on everybody's radar, and it's what everybody's talking about," Kinis said.
'DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE'
There is hesitation along with excitement about a new technology like AI, according to Raju.
She said it is crucial to learn more about AI so educators can teach themselves and students how to responsibly use the technology.
"Instructors need to know how to design their learning materials and assignments to teach students how to use AI constructively," Raju said. "We need to help students understand the tools and use them in the proper manner."
For example, putting an essay question into ChatGPT and copying the answer from the AI model is not responsible.
It is important for faculty in departments such as computer science and information technology to understand AI because they can directly teach its uses to students.
Gateway, for example, tweaked its data analytics program to incorporate more AI, and the college offers an AI data specialist associate degree.
Raju also believes it is vital for educators in areas like history and communications to learn about AI so they understand how it can be a tool in their classes.
Schuler thanked faculty for attending the training.
"You are the gateway to so much more," Schuler said. "You guys are such a huge backbone to everything that's molding our state."
J. Chris Perez, dean of the Gateway school of manufacturing, engineering and information technology, went through the training.
Like Raju, Perez said it is important to learn about the pros and cons of AI.
"One thing that people have to do is make sure you do your due diligence," Perez said. "Be aware of how it can be used or misused, and I think that's one thing this (training) will help us understand."
'A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE'
Thursday's session is one of many ways that Microsoft is working with Wisconsin employers and higher education institutions.
The training is "a very integral piece to this whole ecosystem," Schuler said. "How do we reach people in new ways? Our education system is one of those avenues and a very important piece of a puzzle."
The training took place about two months after Microsoft announced plans to spend $3.3 billion during the next few years building an artificial intelligence data center in Mount Pleasant.
President Joe Biden touted the plan during a speech in Sturtevant in May.
Building the data center is expected to create 2,300 union construction jobs by 2025, according to Microsoft.
Brad Smith, Microsoft president and vice chair, said in May that the tech giant has received "tremendous support" for its project from elected officials, schools and businesses.
"We are a country where people come together, where people work together, where they address hard challenges, and we get great things done," Smith said. "We won't let you down."
The work scheduled for the next few years is the first phase of Microsoft's development.
In May, Smith said he fully expects that there will be a phase two and likely a phase three, but details have not been finalized.
In addition to AI training in phase one, Microsoft plans to partner with Gateway to develop a "Data Center Academy," which is expected to train 1,000 students by 2030; create a manufacturing-focused "Co-Innovation Lab" on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus; and utilize Gener8tor, a startup accelerator already working in Wisconsin, to train business leaders to adopt AI.
Microsoft aims to train "more than 100,000 people across Wisconsin by 2030 on generative AI," according to a May news release.
Raju likes that Microsoft is "trying to democratize the technology" and bring AI to many people.
She also appreciates that instructors from across the state received training Thursday.
"I'm very excited that we will have a group of very proficient educators that will be able to go into their respective communities, their service areas and help their communities understand what AI is, maybe demystify it ... and help people understand what the potential is," Raju said. "This is an all-Wisconsin effort."
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