Understanding AI: Technion Opens the Academic Year with AI Days

How can artificial intelligence be integrated into learning, teaching, engineering development, research, and laboratory management? How can we build an AI agent without a programming background? How can we turn an idea into a product? These and many other questions will be at the heart of “AI Days,” a marathon event to be held by the Technion ahead of the opening of the academic year. Running from October 11 to 22, the event will feature 10 days of intensive activities.

According to Prof. Benny Kimelfeld, dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Technion, “Artificial intelligence is transforming science, engineering, and education, and defining a new era for humanity. AI Days are intended to promote the integration of artificial intelligence throughout academic activity on campus, as part of our responsibility to lead the education and training of the next generation. A wide range of workshops and activities will enable participants to acquire practical, up-to-date tools, gain hands-on experience with them, and discover how they can enhance learning, teaching, research, and a broad range of other activities in their professional and personal lives. Our goal is for all of us to begin the semester with meaningful new capabilities.” Prof. Kimelfeld added, “The event reflects the Technion’s commitment to integrating artificial intelligence into every aspect of academic activity.”

Prof. Danny Raz, senior executive vice president of the Technion, said: “The artificial intelligence revolution requires us to rethink not only the tools we use, but also how we educate engineers, scientists, physicians, and architects for a rapidly changing world. The Technion is not content merely to adapt to this transformation; it is leading processes that will reshape teaching, research, and technological innovation in this new world. AI Days are part of a broad, Technion-wide initiative that brings together students, academic and administrative faculty and staff, and teaching and research teams, with the aim of building a campus culture of responsible, critical, and creative use of artificial intelligence. The fact that the activities have already attracted more than 4,000 registrations demonstrates the Technion community’s desire and readiness to play an active role in this transformation.”

The marathon is intended for the entire Technion community: students, researchers, and academic and administrative faculty and staff. It has been designed so that everyone can find workshops relevant to their needs. Unlike general events focusing on the vision and potential of artificial intelligence, AI Days emphasizes hands-on experience and the acquisition of practical skills. Participants will be able to choose from dozens of workshops, lectures, hackathons, and applied challenges, and gain experience with tools and working methods that can be immediately implemented in their studies, research, and teaching.

Among the events taking place as part of AI Days are AI Fluency workshops, which will help participants progress from basic use of AI tools to a deeper understanding of models and prompt engineering; a Claude Code for Everyone workshop, designed even for participants with no programming experience and teaching them how to build personal tools and agents; an Entrepreneurship and Innovation with AI workshop on developing products from the initial idea through to a prototype; and a 10x Engineer workshop, led by Avi Salmon of Intel, focusing on integrating AI throughout the engineering development lifecycle. Additional workshops will be offered by Google, IBM, NVIDIA, and Base44 on their development tools and on artificial intelligence more broadly.

AI Days will also include the LabAI Challenge hackathon, in which participants will develop solutions to real research problems from the Technion; workshops on robotics and Physical AI; activities specifically devoted to academic teaching, medicine, entrepreneurship, and research; as well as sessions and working groups addressing the ethical aspects of using artificial intelligence.

For the full list of events: https://aidays.technion.ac.il

Photo credit: Rami Shelush, Technion Spokesperson’s Office