IIT Hyderabad Introduces India’s First B.Tech. in Artificial Intelligence Programme

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad is launching a new B. Tech. course in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the academic year 2019-20.

It is the first such full-fledged B. Tech. programme in artificial intelligence (AI) to be offered by an Indian university. Globally, only select institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are currently offering similar courses.

The B.Tech. In Artificial Intelligence course will have an intake of around 20 students who will be selected through the JEE Advanced entrance examination that the students take every year to get admission in the graduate courses at the IITs.

University Prof U.B. Desai, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said, “The basic aim is to create a complete ecosystem for Artificial Intelligence Academics and Research at IIT Hyderabad. This involves B.Tech, M.Tech and different minor programmes in AI. Moreover, R&D will be strongly entwined with academics.”

The B.Tech. In Artificial Intelligence course will also focus on application verticals such as healthcare, agriculture, smart mobility, among others. The ethical impact of AI and its technologies on areas such as privacy, bias, and related issues will also be a key component of this B.Tech programme. However, the demand for professionals trained in this area far exceeds the current supply. Said Dr. Sumohana Channappayya, Dean (Research and Development).

The IIT Hyderabad already offers an M.Tech. Course in Artificial Intelligence-Machine Learning.