HBCU in Atlanta Collaborates with IBM to Enhance Artificial Intelligence Expertise
Clark Atlanta University has partnered with IBM SkillsBuild to equip students with essential AI skills, aiming to address the growing skills gap and ensure that Black students are not left behind in the workforce.
In a press release, Dr. Charlene D. Gilbert, Provost and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Clark Atlanta University, highlighted the importance of this initiative. The partnership will provide students with the opportunity to learn practical AI skills, including working with IBM's WatsonX generative AI platform and open-source Granite language models.
Through this collaboration, students will have access to interactive AI learning components such as labs, which are up to 90 minutes long. They will also work on capstone projects over a semester, collaborating with IBM experts and classroom professors.
Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM VP and Chief Impact Officer, emphasised the future of AI will be shaped by those who have skills in using, managing, and building AI agents. She believes that the future of AI should reflect a broader range of perspectives, and this partnership is a step towards achieving that goal.
The partnership also includes faculty training, enabling professors to enhance AI education quality, ensuring students gain up-to-date AI competencies aligned with workforce demands.
According to a McKinsey study, generative AI could widen the racial economic gap in the US by $43 billion annually. By equipping students with AI skills, this partnership aims to help bridge this gap and foster sustainable economic growth.
This initiative is particularly significant given that Black workers are overrepresented in four of the top five occupations at risk of automation. By providing students with the tools to build AI-driven solutions, the partnership aims to help create a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
[1] Clark Atlanta University press release [2] IBM SkillsBuild website [3] McKinsey & Company report [4] Brookings Institution report on AI and racial equity in the US workforce
- The collaboration between Clark Atlanta University and IBM SkillsBuild seeks to equip students with practical AI skills through interactive learning components like labs, and by having them work on capstone projects with IBM experts and professors, aiming to address the growing skills gap and foster a more inclusive and equitable workforce, particularly for Black students.
- Harnessing the power of generative AI platforms like WatsonX and open-source language models, the initiative aims to help bridge the racial economic gap in the US estimated at $43 billion annually, while simultaneously preparing students with up-to-date AI competencies, ensuring they remain competitive in the rapidly evolving global workforce.
