Update: the deadline to apply has been extended to Friday, September 15.
An opportunity to get involved with the future of AI comes to Madison with the Mark Cuban Foundation’s Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp.
The bootcamp is an opportunity for high school students in underserved schools to participate and learn the fundamentals of AI. Fetch, a software company based in Madison, will host students in the camp along with over 28 other companies across the U.S. for its fall session.
Founded by entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the bootcamp has been around since 2019 as a no-cost educational opportunity for students across several cities in the U.S. Over 900 students in cities like Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Atlantic city have been impacted by the initiative so far.
Students will learn about AI, including ethical and real-life implications, in areas like TikTok, smart home assistants, facial recognition and self-driving cars. Students will also learn about Large Language Models like ChatGPT.
The application is a 24-question survey looking for general information and three prompts regarding the student’s interest in AI. No prior experience in AI, computer science, programming or robotics is required — the bootcamp is open to all high school students with any interest in AI.
If selected, students will learn at the bootcamp every Saturday from Oct. 14- Nov. 4. Each session will take place between 1:00-5:00 pm.
The bootcamp is a no-cost program. Any equipment necessary to learn will be provided by the Mark Cuban Foundation. Applications are currently open and are due by Friday, Sept. 15.
