Staffordshire University prepares students for the world of AI

Staffordshire University is ahead of the curve in preparing its students with the skills they will need to build their careers in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a development with vast implications for the job market of the future.

Only this week, the Chief Economist of the Bank of England, Andy Haldane, warned of the threat posed to thousands of jobs by the growth and development of AI, and called for a skills revolution in order to avoid mass unemployment.

Craig Weightman, a lecturer in computer games programming at Staffordshire University, said: “Robots have replaced workers in car manufacturing, a Japanese insurance company recently replaced workers with intelligent software , and we will soon see self-driving vehicles used by haulage companies or even replace taxi drivers.”

AI, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are already integrated into the Computer Games Programming course at Staffordshire, and the University works closely with industry to adapt and develop the curriculum to meet future needs. On top of which the university has invested in multi-million pound facilities at its Stoke campus.

Planning at Staffordshire University is based on the idea that while some traditional jobs may become obsolete as a result of the growth of AI in the economy, new and exciting opportunities will also be created that their graduates need to be prepared to seize.

Weightman added:”AI will create a host of new jobs that we have not even thought of yet, and as a digital university we are already preparing our students for the future. There will still be a need to train the people behind AI, and we are in a strong position to provide those digital skills.”

“I believe there will be opportunities across a range of subjects from Computing to Engineering and even Psychology. We are entering a new technological age and Staffordshire University is ready to make the most of it.”