A group of students draws an outline sketch and share it with others, who then proceed to guess what the sketch depicts. Is it a cat, a dog, a human, or an object? Sounds simple, right? It is, except that this is the foundational knowledge behind image recognition. Just like humans, who all grow up learning to recognize images, this is the trajectory Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now following. Every iteration is a lesson learned, and each time, AI emerges more powerful than ever before. The difference is that while the cognitive abilities of humans start declining with age, AI becomes increasingly powerful because it trains itself.

This was one of the takeaways students of the Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation (CSII) gained at the week-long AI Bootcamp organized for them by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in January-February 2024. With AI literacy becoming an essential element of CSII students’ education, this second CSII-dedicated bootcamp followed the first one, which was held at the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Rayong. The camp kicked off with students assembling at their learning stations for an exercise titled “AI Unplugged,” which simulates how image processing works and lays the foundations for practicing in neural networking.

But AI is more than just computing and learning. As AI advances, critical aspects include the issue of ethics, which formed the basis of the next session. As students of the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation (BAScii) acquired basic literacy in AI, they reflected on possibilities for applying them to aspects of their daily lives, projects, business ideas, and innovation. Assisted by a dozen student mentors, including graduate and doctoral candidates, AIT faculty led CSII students through a journey of learning, innovation, and reflection. Representing AIT were Professor Nitin Kumar Tripathi, Dr. Chutiporn Anutariya, and Professor Sangam Shrestha. Dr. Poomjai Nacaskul, Dr. Warinya Chemnasiri, Yasiru Suharshana Fernando, and Napatsakorn Sae-heng led the CSII team.

The week-long camp included lectures, workshops, and lab tours as well as a movie night and a treasure hunt. The underlying principle of the treasure hunt was the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), which students used to geolocate objects and reach their final destination. Finally, students witnessed a research showcase on how AI works in real life, ranging from a brain lab to smart transportation and from remote sensing to pitching their ideas, concluding with the finale, which included a BAScii hackathon. Sixty BAScii students participated, including 48 freshmen and 12 juniors and seniors.