Page 16 - ADU Voice Volume 4 Issue 2

15 Voice | Spring 2025

The Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence

Engineering

Dr. Mohammed Ghazal
is the Associate Dean and Program leader for the AI engineering degree, has
stated, “I have always looked at technology as being a great enabler for the
improvement of the human condition…artificial intelligence specifically
has always been the centerpiece for how to go about salvaging the best of
what technology has to offer.” The highly specialized Professor of Electrical
and Computer Engineering is inspired by the fact that AI has the ability to
allow us to explore and consider “…art and history and literature and spend
our short time on earth creating” instead of being tied to the monotony of
our everyday lives, which are very limited in nature.

n his interview for the ADU Voice Magazine, By positioning the program in such a way, all other
Dr. Mohammed Ghazal shared his thoughts Artificial Intelligence degrees in the region falter
Ion the new Bachelors of Artificial Intelligence in comparison. Additionally, the design of the AI
(AI) Engineering degree and the future of AI along degree contrasts its ADU engineering counterparts;
with it. Dr. Ghazal conveys that this program “has two
major design projects” as opposed to the usual
The AI program has been a long time coming one for the capstone. He goes on, “every single
to the college of Engineering. According to Dr. one of the courses that it has, features a significant
Ghazal, the first remnants of his degree took project…an opportunity for the students so that
place as “a concentration within the Bachelor of they learn AI, not just by talking about it, but they
know how to make it.”
Science and Computer Engineering” program.
As such, the university now feels “extra ready Specifically, the Professor expresses his pride
to begin and welcome students” into this new in one particular aspect of the program which is
stream of engineering. To add on, the shape of structured to assume relevancy in AI. He explains it
the program and its implementation is hugely further, “…this is not a program where the relevant
credited to research. The program leader believes AI of today may not be relevant tomorrow…we
that its current look is all thanks to the hours of are founded in the math and science of AI that
“investigations that have been carried out to build will stand the test of time.” What it aims to do
the know-how…a program that is centered around for the students is to teach them the AI of today,
what works and is not simply riddled with theories and as coined by Dr. Ghazal, incorporate “AI by
and what we know doesn’t work.” hand…think of it as asking students to understand
algorithms that drive AI so much that they can
Dr. Ghazal and the Department of Electrical, actually carry them out by (their own) hand.” By
Computer and Biomedical Engineering believed it doing so, we can see the balance of concepts and
was time to not only introduce the program, but theories as well as the application of them in AI
to differentiate it in the market. He asserts, “... Engineering.
what makes us unique is that fact that we’re not
a Bachelor of Science in AI, we are a Bachelor For the students, Dr. Ghazal praises their prior
efforts in national and international competitions
of Science in AI Engineering… meaning we and hopes that with the implementation of the
emphasize design … experimentation, (which are) bachelor’s degree, effective spring 2025, that there
the key elements that makes engineers who they will be “the next class of engineers who are there
are, they are imbedded within the program.” to develop their versions of AI and beyond.”