Why has AI become so prevalent and what are the advantages of studying an MSc in AI? Find out in our interview with Programme Director Rameez Kureshi.
Rameez Kureshi is a Lecturer at The University of Hull and the Programme Director for Hull Online’s MSc in Artificial Intelligence. 
We sat down with Rameez to discuss the rise of AI, what content you’ll cover as a student on the course, and how it can help you adapt to technological evolution.
Read on to find out more:
Can you tell us about your background and expertise?
Rameez: My expertise is in artificial intelligence (AI), data science and the Internet of Things (IoT). I have worked on different international projects that utilise my expertise in this area for building real world applications, such as air quality and flood monitoring.
I also have four years of international teaching experience in diverse computer science subjects, especially in AI. This expertise helped me design this course in a way that’s grounded in cutting edge AI research and its application to global problems.
Interested in whether a master's in AI can help you achieve your career goals? Our friendly and knowledgeable Course Adviser team are here to offer support and advice:
Why has AI become so prevalent now? How might this impact the future?
Rameez: I closely follow AI because I consider myself futuristic, and I think it will continue to be the most revolutionary technology that we have ever developed as human beings.
AI is the ability of a machine to interpret data and act intelligently, which allows them to perform tasks and formulate decisions based on the available data. In almost every sector, AI is influencing how people will live in the future. It’s already the primary force behind developing technologies like Big Data, robotics and IoT, and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
The cost of AI is going down for all industries. In the past, working with AI required expensive equipment and a sizeable staff of in-house data scientists. That's not the situation anymore. Similarly, AI solutions are now easily accessible as a service, with a constantly expanding selection of fully prepared service solutions geared towards companies of different sizes.
More people are implementing AI to enhance their shopping, get recommendations, news, entertainment and so on. Machine learning, particularly deep learning and reinforcement learning, fueled by large scale data, is the primary technology underpinning most of these advancements.
What are the current hot topics in AI?
Rameez: Some of the hot topics are AI for healthcare, predictive analysis, AI in the Metaverse, autonomous vehicles and robotics.
I would advise all students to consider what problems you are interested in addressing, what would have the biggest impact if you were to solve it and to see how you can resolve these issues with the help of data.
For example, you might have an interest in climate change and with the help of IoT sensors you can use AI technology to see pollution develop from the cities.
What will I learn on the course?
Rameez: You will learn to evaluate real world problems and apply AI knowledge within whatever domain you are interested in, such as healthcare, business, mechanical or automotive industries. The modules we have designed cover all the aspects of AI that industry is looking for.
For example, the Artificial Intelligence Foundations module introduces the fundamental concept of AI and its application.
The Machine Learning & Deep Learning module will help you to understand machine learning fundamentals, current approaches and software, including data mining and supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms.
The third module is the Ethics, Regulatory and Social Aspects for Fair AI. This module will introduce you to current ideas, issues and debates in the UK and across the world. What are the existing ethical and legal frameworks to address them?
The next module is Applied Artificial Intelligence. Throughout this module, you will gain a solid understanding of characteristics of AI in business and the real-world challenges, including appropriate AI models to handle them.
Finally, you have the MSc Research Project. This module shows you how to plan, write and present a research project on a topic of interest to you. It's a practical module. You could, for example, create a project that uses data to resolve a problem in your workplace.
Why do we need artificial intelligence specialists?
What programming language and frameworks are used?
Rameez: Python, because it’s the most popular programming language. We’re going to cover all the frameworks, such as Scikit-learn or TensorFlow, which help you develop AI models and AI applications.
If you’ve had exposure to Python or any other programming language you can succeed on the course.
How can this master's degree help me achieve my career goals?
Rameez: The UK Government published a report in 2020 that stated that almost 50% of firms were affected by the lack of AI skills in the market, which means these companies are not able to meet their potential and expand further. There’s a similar picture across the world in terms of the dearth of this skill set in the market.
Our course is designed to help you acquire advanced technical skills in AI techniques, machine learning, deep learning, data science and statistics, to prepare you for the job market.
You will also get a deep knowledge of ethical, legal and fairness issues. This will place you far ahead of the competition.
When I was designing this course, I talked with industry experts a lot about what AI expertise they were looking for. The course is industry-orientated, not industry specific. You will be able to evaluate real-world problems and successfully apply your skills and knowledge within whatever industry you work in.
How will the course help me adapt to future technological changes?
Rameez: If you have a fundamental skill, you can easily adapt to the evolution in technology. For example, if you understand machine learning and you know what supervised learning is and unsupervised learning, it will help you to adapt to changes in technology to build any AI application.
When you do the Applied Artificial Intelligence module, you'll see how industry is handling technological evolution and adopting this revolutionary technology. You will learn not only fundamentals but applied AI. It’s a balance between fundamental and applied.
Any advice for those thinking about studying AI with Hull Online?
Remember one thing. Just because you are studying alone doesn't mean you are alone. With Hull Online, you are joining a large community of people who are from diverse, professional settings and learning the same way as you are. You don't have to worry too much because we are here to support you.
Thank you to Rameez for sharing your insights into the course!
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