will.i.am will teach a 15-week AI course at ASU’s Los Angeles campus in 2026, blending tech education with his musical background.
will.i.am is bringing his expertise in artificial intelligence to Arizona State University, where he’ll launch a new course at ASU’s Los Angeles campus in spring 2026.
The Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas frontman will serve as a professor of practice at ASU’s GAME School, where he’ll lead a 15-week course titled “The Agentic Self,” university president Michael Crow announced Tuesday (September 23) in New York City.
“This professorship marks a new chapter in my life,” will.i.am said. “From creating global unifying music to establishing my i.am Angel Foundation, which empowers 15,000 Los Angeles area high school students with STEM skills and sends thousands to college, I find the answer to my question ‘Where’s the love?’ in this course. The Agentic Self represents a solution to AI replacing human jobs.”
The course is part of ASU’s broader push to equip students for a rapidly changing workforce shaped by AI.
The GAME School—short for Global Ascent in Media and Entertainment—focuses on building digital fluency and will collaborate with will.i. am’s FYI.AI platform to launch EDU.FYI, a new educational tool powered by NVIDIA technology.
“We are always looking for ways to innovate how we teach to better prepare our students to meet the moment,” Crow said. “Our graduates must be ready for the powerful shift in jobs toward AI. This pioneering partnership with will.i.am is an unbelievable opportunity for our students to learn from his extraordinary experience as a highly creative and unique tech innovator.”
The appointment adds to will.i. am’s growing resume in the tech world. He was an early equity investor in Beats Electronics, which Apple acquired for $3 billion in 2014. Since then, he’s launched several ventures focused on artificial intelligence, voice computing and natural language processing.
His i.am Angel Foundation has funded STEAM education programs for more than 12,000 underserved students in Southern California since 2009. The foundation also backs the i.am College Track tutoring center and Boyle Heights STEM Magnet High School in East Los Angeles.
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