Stanford Intro to AI course to be taught for free online

Well I suppose other posters wouldn't mind us starting threads related to the class in the discussion section (as long as they aren't about homework). Perhaps even a series of "cool stuff I learned in the class" might be appreciated by some, :)

Also can I just ask why you dislike the idea?

Replies from: MixedNuts

↑ comment by MixedNuts · 2011-09-05T11:33:07.714Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Because I don't want to have to either miss the cool content, or to create yet another damn login, defeat a swarm of attempts to invade my privacy, deal with the headache of using my real name, my legal name, or a fake name, and in the first two cases keeping the account of sight of half of my social circle.

Replies from: hankx7787, None

↑ comment by hankx7787 · 2011-09-25T16:19:11.112Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

this.

I just did a google for "free private chat rooms" and came here:

http://www.chatzy.com/

How about we try that?

Replies from: None

↑ comment by [deleted] · 2011-10-17T15:15:24.714Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Why not set up a irc channel on free node?

↑ comment by [deleted] · 2011-09-05T14:37:27.799Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Good points.

↑ comment by [deleted] · 2011-08-16T19:27:28.835Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I am and will be doing the class. Feel free to add me. BTW There here are some other threads about LWers doing stuff on google+.

There is also an AICLASS reddit for it now!

↑ comment by Clippy · 2011-08-23T17:00:31.461Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Yes, I want to.

comment by [deleted] · 2011-08-16T19:30:12.175Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Two new classes have sprang up:

Also is it just me or did the AI class website used to be blue? And didn't the class originally start in September rather than October? Did they change this so it would fall in line with the latter classes?

BTW People taking the other two classes won't be compared to the Stanford students but to other people taking them. I hope it isn't like this in the AI class as well.

Edit: All references in the website to the online students being compared to the Stanford class students have been removed. I guess there where perhaps some complications with how to compare them or Stanford just plain didn't like the idea of a bunch of people with "did better than 95% of a Stanford class" in their CV running around.

comment by Craig_Heldreth · 2011-08-16T17:57:46.741Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

58 000 sign ups.

Study group?

Replies from: None

↑ comment by [deleted] · 2011-08-16T19:39:21.075Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

People have expressed some interest for this here in this very thread. :)

There is also a reddit for it now.

Replies from: Craig_Heldreth

↑ comment by Craig_Heldreth · 2011-08-16T22:39:53.841Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Thank you for posting the reddit link which I had not seen before.

Searching for Konkvistador on google + pulls no matches for me.

Replies from: None

↑ comment by [deleted] · 2011-09-01T15:54:23.834Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I think I have you added by now and vice verse. I don't use my real name for g+ and googles policy towards pseudonyms is rather harsh, if anyone else wants to add me just PM and I'll send you my contact information.

comment by Craig_Heldreth · 2011-08-06T18:18:47.575Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I have signed up and anticipate it eagerly!

Thanks for posting this.

Replies from: None

↑ comment by [deleted] · 2011-08-16T19:33:02.370Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Same here.

comment by [deleted] · 2011-07-30T23:40:59.735Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Thanks for this! This seems very interesting! Anyone else thinking of signing up later this summer?

Replies from: darius, XFrequentist, Psy-Kosh

↑ comment by darius · 2011-07-31T05:51:44.989Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Yes, tentatively. I've read the textbook, more like given it a first pass, and it's excellent. This should help me stick to a more systematic study. If the video lectures have no transcripts, that'd suck, though (I'm hard of hearing).

↑ comment by XFrequentist · 2011-08-02T15:04:37.503Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I'm in. It may be a stretch of my abilities, but I loooove the idea of competing against Stanford undergraduates.

↑ comment by Psy-Kosh · 2011-07-31T02:57:59.592Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I was initially considering it, only apparently it has stronger prerequisites than I thought at first. But will see.

EDIT: On third thought, some people are suggesting the initial CS background requirements may not be as tight, so maybe. Will be reading up on it more, (though possibly may also be busy during the months when the course would be taking place, so not sure)

Replies from: Dr_Manhattan

↑ comment by Dr_Manhattan · 2011-07-31T13:48:45.050Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Judging by the book this might be a steep climb but one without sudden dropoffs.

Replies from: Psy-Kosh

↑ comment by Psy-Kosh · 2011-08-01T23:24:36.275Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Mind clarifying? Thanks.

Replies from: Dr_Manhattan

↑ comment by Dr_Manhattan · 2011-08-02T00:14:12.668Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

The book is very clear, things are not out of order, notation is consistent, and with appendixes the prerequisites are pretty much HS math. So even if the course goes a little fast you should be able to catch up with some extra effort and won't get lost.

Replies from: Psy-Kosh

↑ comment by Psy-Kosh · 2011-08-02T01:31:07.758Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Ah, so it doesn't seem to actually demand much in the way of programming background? (ie, I don't have to start out with a mental catalog of zillions of specialized data structures or anything like that then?)

Awesome, thanks.

comment by [deleted] · 2011-07-30T18:24:23.416Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Is this a scam? (I ask only because of the unsavory-looking graphic design.)

Replies from: anonym, CarlShulman, Dr_Manhattan, None, Psy-Kosh

↑ comment by anonym · 2011-07-30T19:41:32.215Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

whois ai-class.com shows Thrun (with his stanford.edu email address) as the registrant and administrative contact, so it seems legit.

↑ comment by CarlShulman · 2011-07-30T18:51:08.915Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

No, there are fresh videos of Thrun talking about the course and certificate. If it's a scam, it's ripping off a real Stanford AI class taught by Thrun and Norvig.

↑ comment by Dr_Manhattan · 2011-07-31T01:43:19.709Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

No, for real. Either you have highly refined taste in graphics or they fixed it.

↑ comment by [deleted] · 2011-07-31T02:20:43.263Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Ok, cool, then this sounds fantastic.

(No, they haven't fixed it. It just looks wrong to me; the only thing I can put my finger on is too many font sizes. I have very definite instincts about this sort of thing but, sadly, not the vocabulary or the skill to make much use of them.)

Replies from: NancyLebovitz

↑ comment by NancyLebovitz · 2011-07-31T15:52:30.554Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

There are additional low-status markers-- cluttered design, big sensationalist photograph, exclamation points. The unifying concept might be "we don't trust that our words are enough to get your attention".

↑ comment by Psy-Kosh · 2011-07-30T19:10:57.272Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

As far as I know, it's real.

(Note, although it only seems to list knowledge of probability and linear algebra as prerequisites, apparently it does require a bit more than that and that apparently it's the hard version of the course.)

comment by [deleted] · 2011-09-01T15:50:37.392Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

"Official enrollment is now available!"

I thought I already signed up, do I have to go through this new enrollment?

Yes, the original name and e-mail signup was just to let us know you were interested. In order to participate in the class you must complete the official enrollment.

I've signed up for the advanced track.

comment by [deleted] · 2011-08-16T19:35:06.349Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I have easy access to a second edition of Artificial Intelligence, A Modern Approach which is required reading for the AI class, should I still buy the third edition or will this do? Any advice from someone who took the Stanford class?

comment by Arandur · 2011-08-02T23:42:27.816Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Well, crap. :/ I'd love to take this, but I'm already going to have a strong enough courseload this semester. I'm not confident that I could keep up.

comment by Oscar_Cunningham · 2011-08-02T12:24:52.188Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Awesome. Thank you!

comment by Daniel_Burfoot · 2011-07-31T15:05:11.098Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Wow, I never really thought of Thrun as a mad genius before, but now I do.

Replies from: Dr_Manhattan

↑ comment by Dr_Manhattan · 2011-07-31T15:24:48.045Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Which aspect of madness of genius are you referring to?

comment by calcsam · 2011-07-30T21:26:23.430Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I think a lot of learning comes in the assignments here...I have vivid memories of friends pulling all-nighters every night to finish their assignments for this class.