Preparing India for the 4th Industrial Age :
In January 2016, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Professor Klaus Schwab drew attention to the arrival of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Davos this January seems to have significantly influenced the Niti Aayog to wake up from its 2 year slumber to announce a mission on AI, Machine Learning ,Blockchains, Big Data, 3D printing, Internet of Things.
This is a good sign, but in the present and future it is the start ups, the established industries and the educators that will drive the change at the desired speeds.
Inspired by Margaret Mead’s view that “ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has ” and further supported by the Nobel Prize winning work of Elinor Ostrom, negating the axiomatic ‘ tragedy of the commons’ of Garrett Hardin to demonstrate convincingly that common resources can be successfully managed without government regulation or privatisation.
Building on these principles and using the model of ‘heutagogy’ for lifelong learning, we have designed and are offering a program for School leavers to be ready for the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. In order to foster the spirit of lifelong learning, all learners will automatically be enrolled as members of a lifelong learning community. In the first year of the program, all learners will do a course on ‘ learning how to learn’ to enable them to continue to pursue their learning and be updated as per their needs. In order to pursue a career as an IT Professional, especially in the rapidly progressing field of AI and ML, being an autonomous Self-directed Learner is Critical.
After completing the course, they will have one year of support on the topics of their studies through a monthly newsletter.
As students successfully pass their School Leaving examinations this summer, they wonder what lies in the future? They do have a feel that they are entering a different world from that of their parents and grandparents: the world of AI.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans. “AI is the new electricity “ says Andrew NG .
In the immediate foreseeable future these technologies will continue to improve and will reach human levels. In about 10 years Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be able to communicate with humans in unstructured English using text or voice, navigate in an unprepared environment and will have some rudimentary common sense. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will create the best opportunities in the coming years.
The first offering as part of this initiative is the first year of a 3 year program designed for School leavers to be developed as future AI professionals.
The program is designed such that it can be pursued concurrently with any other program of choice, with the benefit that no matter what field of work a learner chooses, the person would be well equipped to deal with the transformations that AI brings to that domain.
The 3 year program is mapped at levels 3,4 and 5 of the UK’s National Qualification Framework.
Only the first year of the program, that is the Level 3 Certificate proposed program structure is being detailed below.
Structure of the qualification
The Level 3 Certification, in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML301) is made up of 11 mandatory course modules and 1 mandatory project module totalling to a 120 credit programme.
Each credit is equivalent to 10 guided learning hours. The mention of Guided Learning Hours (GLH) herein is a reference to the total amount of time that a learner is expected to put for each unit and includes Face-to-face interaction, Seminars, Workshops, Assignments, Self-study, Project work, Group work and final assessment.
The learners will be introduced to the fundamental principles of computational Thinking, algorithms and programming. They will also study mathematics ( linear algebra, calculus and statistics ) as applied to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. This approach is quite different from that of pursuing a degree in Mathematics.
They will learn of the story of evolution of AI and its recent drivers and applications.
They will learn the relationship between AI, Machine learning and deep learning. Also about the most visible applications of Predictive Modelling, Recommendation Engines and Chatbots. This will be topped with a project where all this learning will come together.
They will be goaded and guided to becoming lifelong learners, as in this field the ability to learn to learn yourself is much more important than all the knowledge that you have acquired so far.
List of courses in the first year beginning July 2018:
L3AIML01: The AI Landscape : Applications and Implications ( 5 credits)
L3AIML02: Introduction to Python ( 5 credits)
L3AIML03: Learning how to Learn ( 10 credits)
L3AIML04: Computational Thinking and Algorithms ( 10 credits)
L3AIML05: Basic Maths for AI and ML ( 10 credits)
L3AIML06: Machine Learning and Deep Learning ( 10 credits)
L3AIML07: Machine Learning with Python ( 10 credits)
L3AIML08: Predictor Models ( 5 credits)
L3AIML09: Recommendation Engines ( 5 credits)
L3AIML10: Natural Language Processing ( 5 credits)
L3AIML11: Chatbots ( 5 credits)
L3AIML11: Project work (40 credits)
Having studied Computer Science at School is not a pre-requisite. But having an IELTS score of more than 6.5 or equivalent is a requirement for admission to this program.
Apart from imparting knowledge in programming, mathematics,Computational Thinking and specific topics in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, a Learner makes several projects during this time. The goal of these projects is to go beyond evidence of ‘can do’ to exhibition of ‘has done’.
The project activities help develop desirable personality traits for AI professionals comprising analytical thinking, curiosity, patience, discipline, eye for detail and the ability to work independently or collaboratively as per need.
Another innovation that we are building into the program is to assign a certain percentage of the value of any future Intellectual Property that is unlocked n future from any project. Another percentage of this value would be assigned to the owner of the ‘co-learning space’ where the project work is carried out.
For those who do not want to get into coding but want to appreciate and understand the new Business landscape there is another program detailed below:
Business 4.0 : Running, Managing or leading a business in the 4th Industrial Age
Business is at the cusp of a new digital future. A perfect storm of technologies — cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, big data and analytics, and the Internet of things (IoT) – is transforming industry after industry. This transformation is often referred to as Industry 4.0 in Germany.
A student pursuing BBA, MBA or a young professional would do well to keep himself informed of and acquainted with these fast paced developments so that s(he) can readily adapt to the changing world and being well informed, benefit from the new emerging opportunities.
This program grew out of the interactions and feedback that I received to an evening lecture that I gave at The All India Management Association On 24th October 2017 On “ Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Management”. I have for the last couple of years been exploring the use of Whatsapp and mobile phones for ‘lifelong learning’ and this theme of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning seemed like a promising candidate for an extended program for continuous professional development program for both practicing managers as well as for those pursuing their management courses at the Bachelors or Masters Level. I identified a list of 30 topics that would cover the entire gamut of what is being referred to as the 4th Industrial Revolution. In our format of ‘ Learning weekends with Whatsapp’ they can be covered in 30 weeks. Allowing for some inevitable slack, they can be comfortably pursued within the duration of an academic year. Each lecture is designed to introduce the theme in an easily comprehensible way with links for further exploration and indicating its importance for a successful manager.
As there are very rapid developments in this field, this list of topics may be revised, augmented, merged or deleted.
Proposed list of weekly themes :
#1: What is the 4th Industrial Revolution ?
#2: Technological MegaTrends and Success Skills in the 4th Industrial Age
#3: Big Data : The Big Picture
#4:Blockchain : Demystified
#5: Digital Manufacturing/ 3 D Printing
6: The Internet of Things
7: Robots and Drones
8: Augmented and Virtual Reality Applications
9: The future of work : the Gig economy
10: Computational Thinking
11: Algorithms
#12: The Landscape of AI: Applications and Implications
13: AI and allied terms
14: AI and Robotics
15: Robotic process automation
16: Machine Learning and Deep Learning
17: Deep learning at some depth
18: Predictor Models
19: Recommendation Engines
20: Natural Language Processing
21: Chatbots
22: Cognitive Computing : IBM Watson
23: Google Tensorflow
24: Amazon Spacemaker
25: AI on mobile devices
#26: Marketing 4.0
#27: AI driven Fintech
#28: HR in the 4th Industrial Age
#29: The future of retail
30: Leadership in the 4th Industrial Age: enabling the transition
Condensed Business 4.0 :
For those who would like to have a glimpse of the Business 4.0 program before committing more time, energy and financial resources can pursue the condensed program of 10 courses marked with a # sign and listed at numbers 1,2,3,4,5,12,26,27,28 and 29.
Delivery modes :
The program is best suited to delivery with Whatsapp on mobiles.
But it can also be delivered in flexible configurations as lectures of 60/90 minutes depending upon the needs of the learners or a suitable blend of lectures and Self-learning.
