AI for Everyone: Everything You Need To Know About Stanford AI4all
Imagine being able to sit with your laptop, in the comfort of your own home, sipping a cup of coffee and learning about AI! Gosh! That sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?
Stanford AI4all is the place for you to live out this dream. You can finally get rid of your textbook and learn by experimenting and working with others. Stanford AI4all is for everyone. Whether you’re an experienced programmer or a curious student without experience, Stanford AI4all is bound to provide immense value and learning.
Read on to find out whatever you need to know about AI4all!
Stanford AI4all: A Brief Overview
Stanford AI4all is a summer program tailored for high schoolers to get exposure to the vast world of AI.
Here are some details:
Course Length: The Stanford AI4all program is a 3-week program
Location: The program is currently virtual, but an on-campus cohort is possible in the coming years.
Dates: June 26-July 14, 2024(tentatively)
Fee: $4,000 (financial aid is available)
Eligibility: Only eligible to 9th graders and rising 10th graders
Certificates: Certificate of Achievement
Application dates: January 16th 2024 - March 10th(extended application deadline). However, it is better to submit applications in the regular application timeframe or even the early application timeframe to increase your chances.
The program is organized by the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI).
You don’t have to watch prerecorded lesson videos like most online courses, rather you get to attend calls with your professors as an extra bonus.
Why Choose Stanford AI4all
Who would want to pass up the opportunity to learn from the most experienced professors in one of the most prestigious universities? Stanford AI4all is the perfect deep dive into AI fundamentals and the field of AI.
If the grueling freshman year was not challenging enough for you, you can certainly expect a challenging summer at Stanford. This is the perfect place to work out your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to prepare yourself for the sophomore year ( or even college) along with the sharpest minds in the world.
Don’t you hate it when you have a dying question that gets no answer because you’re taking an online course? Well, worry not, Stanford’s AI4all operates in small lecture cohorts with industry professionals ready to clarify anything and everything, so that you never have to feel confused about any topic.
Benefits of Stanford AI4all
Looks great on college applications: Stanford is an internationally recognized college and doing a Stanford summer program boosts your resume anywhere you apply. Furthermore, having AI knowledge is valued in any field you go into.
International Platform: The online platform of Stanford AI4all is great for connecting and making a network. Due to the course’s strict selection processes, you are guaranteed to meet the change-makers, pioneers and leaders of tomorrow. You might finally meet the one who shares the same passionate love for AI as you. Maybe you guys go ahead and make a world-changing project together?
Hands-on learning: Rather than the traditional textbook-based learning, Stanford AI4all engages the students with hands-on learning. This involves activities, research and talks by industry experts. AI is an experimental field in which there is no one solution to a problem. Experimenting and making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn about the intricacies of AI.
Be a problem-solver: AI has hundreds and thousands of applications in our day-to-day lives. We face problems daily. You can make your day a tad bit easier by letting AI deal with your problems
The Curriculum
Ranging from research projects to lectures, group-working tasks to industry talks, Stanford AI4all has got you covered. In the confusing landscape of the internet, learning the right things can be incredibly tough. Watching some random youtube 5-hour-long YouTube tutorial never helped anyone. Getting lost in the rabbit hole of git hub files that make no sense to you is no good either. Stanford compiles a new syllabus every year to help you learn the right things the right way.
As Oppenheimer exclaimed, “Theory can only take you so far”. No one wants to sit and learn about CNNs or U-nets for multiple hours straight. Trying out things and seeing the effects is a far better way to learn. Stanford has grouped research projects which help you try out models, optimizers and a whole bunch of parameters to see what each and everything does.
Furthermore, the program’s activities naturally help students develop things like teamwork and creativity. These skills are usually valued at colleges and internships.
The Main Objectives
As the name suggests, Stanford AI4all hopes to make AI accessible to all, regardless of sex, background and any other factor. In the near future, having Artificial intelligence knowledge will be vital.
Unlock your true potential with this program! This course is designed to help you discover your true potential. Not only will you have the chance to pursue your passions, but you'll also get the necessary support to take your ideas to the next level. For example, Ananya Karthik, a Stanford AI4all alumni, founded CreAIte with others in her cohort. Her project “introduced more than 500 girls around the country to coding basics, interdisciplinary technology, and peers who share their interests”, according to Stanford HAI’s website.
Moreover, the program hopes to expose the underrepresented to the field. With multiple financial aid programs, Stanford AI4all has made it easy for the underrepresented population to learn about AI.
There is a diversity crisis in the world of AI as well, which is one thing AI4all hopes to target. They hope to diversify the crowds that make AI products to reduce things like bias present in the system. For example, Bekah, a Stanford AI4all alumni, helped find and solve issues present in the criminal justice system by targeting things like AI bias.
What You Need To Apply
After a preliminary application, you need the following things:
Transcript: A recent report on the student's academic performance
Standardized test reports: Any standardized test report, however, ACT, SAT, PSAT and TOEFL are the preferred test reports
Recommendation letters: A recommendation letter from a teacher which comments on your traits and excellence in STEM subjects. These give the college vital information on your characteristics and your grasp of science-based subjects
Essays: The essay section helps the admissions team understand more about you as a person. The essay should reflect your ideals, interests and abilities as a student.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Stanford AI4all is a program that hopes to increase the accessibility to AI education and foster the creation of creative projects. It’s the perfect way to spend your summer with multiple methods of learning, be it through lectures, research or engaging activities. Check out Stanford's website for more details regarding the same.
On a parting note, it’s a great place to make friends and find co-founders for your creative endeavors. So, are you considering joining? Because for a program like this, who wouldn’t?
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
