School of Information launches two new AI courses open to all U-M undergraduates

Undergraduates across disciplines are looking to understand and leverage artificial intelligence — not just as a tool in their browser, but as a force reshaping the workforce and the world. 

Two courses launching at the University of Michigan School of Information this fall will answer that call. SI 326: Understanding AI and SI 211: Coding without Coding have no prerequisites, making them accessible to students from any academic background. Both count toward UMSI’s new minor in human-centered AI. 

AI in context

In Understanding AI, taught by assistant professor of information Ben Green, students will explore how AI works and why it matters. 

“AI is a technical tool, but it’s also much more than that,” says Green, an expert on AI policy and regulation. “AI is at the center of business strategies, geopolitics, media and more. To understand the technology, it’s essential to understand the people, policies and economies behind it.” 

Green’s course draws from multiple disciplines to engage students in thinking critically about AI. Through case studies, they will examine the data centers that power AI and the business models of companies like OpenAI. “Specific AI tools will appear in a new light once students understand where those tools come from,” Green says. 

He hopes students will bring their curiosity — not only about ways to apply AI, but about the history of AI, the economic forecast for AI companies, and how we might evaluate whether AI tools are effective. 

Cracking the code

Think coding’s not your vibe? The next course might change your mind. 

Coding without Coding, taught by Michael D. Cohen Collegiate Professor of Information Paul Resnick, explores an emerging approach known as vibe coding — where experienced programmers use an AI assistant to generate code. Designed for students with no programming experience, the course will investigate whether novices can use the same approach. 

“Using an AI assistant lets you dive right into designing computational processes the way experienced programmers do, without having to first spend hundreds of hours gaining fluency in a programming language,” Resnick says. 

When UMSI faculty talk about adapting the curriculum to current trends and technologies, they aren’t exaggerating. The term “vibe coding” was just coined in February by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy. 

“In this first, experimental offering of the course, I will be trying to identify a minimal set of computational concepts and coding skills needed for a non-programmer to harness an AI copilot successfully,” Resnick says. 

For their final projects, students might create a game, a simulation of a physical or social process or even a study assistant for another course. They will leave the course with the ability to create practical applications using data they might encounter in their future jobs. 

“If you can create programs in a matter of minutes, you will start to notice opportunities all the time,” Resnick says. 

Both courses are open for Fall 2025 registration. Search in Wolverine Access for SI 326: Understanding AI and SI 211: Coding without Coding. 

UMSI’s minor in human-centered AI is accepting declarations. Learn more.