Ind. (WPTA) – Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries across the globe, and a national program is helping prepare the next generation right here in northeast Indiana
Fort Wayne was selected as one of just 35 cities across the country to host the Mark Cuban AI Bootcamp, giving local high school students free, hands-on training with cutting-edge technology at Indiana Tech.
Hosted locally by the AI in Fort Wayne Community, the free initiative kicked off the first of three weekend sessions on Saturday. Around 50 students gathered to learn the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, including how machine learning models work and how they are trained.
Throughout the program, students explore how AI can be applied to diverse fields, ranging from art and education to healthcare.
For participants like freshman Sophia Russell, the bootcamp provides a chance to understand the technology behind tools they encounter every day.
“I want to understand how to use these things in my daily life and also what it can do and how it can further our advancements in technology,” Russell said.
Senior Sarah Khadka, whose father works in IT, said she wanted to build on her existing exposure to technology with an eye toward her future career.
“I feel like healthcare is one of the bigger careers that you can use to understand diagnostics and stuff like that,” Khadka said. “So, I’m really excited to see what these next three weeks will bring.”
Organizers say early exposure to artificial intelligence will give students a significant head start as they transition to college and the workforce.
“You’ll be able to have smarter conversations in your interviews and smarter conversations with your peers that you’re working with,” said Angie Carel, founder of AI in Fort Wayne. “So just by exposing them to AI, they will be able to move forward faster.”
The bootcamp will continue with its final two sessions on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 14. For more information you can click here.
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