Will.i.am To Teach An AI Agentic Course At Arizona State University As A Solution ‘To AI Replacing Human Jobs’

Will.i.am’s footprint in technology has brought him to the classroom.

As AFROTECH™ previously told you, he has been an AI advocate and has even integrated it into his own platforms. The musician and entrepreneur is the mastermind behind FYI.AI, a production tool for creatives to generate drafted stories, song lyrics, marketing copy, and product descriptions. The app is not meant to replace but rather enhance the creative process.

Will.i.am also launched FYI RAiDiO, an AI-powered, interactive, conversational media platform with AI hosts from various backgrounds from Miami to East London, according to information shared by its partner Mercedes-Benz.

Incoming Professor At Arizona State University

Now, will.i.am wants to further his efforts to educate the next generation of technology leaders. According to a news release, he has already worked in the Los Angeles area to energize youth interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). His latest interest includes partnering with Google and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency for digital technologies, to expose AI and robotics to African students, per ITU.

The agency is already working in some countries through its joint ITU-UNICEF Giga initiative, which helps bring the internet to schools in Africa. The new program adds to those efforts, providing online access to offline populations as well as teaching digital skills to remote communities. Particular focus is on bringing these opportunities to girls and other underrepresented groups, and the program will start in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Next, will.i.am has secured a position as a professor of practice at The GAME School at Arizona State University (ASU). He will teach a 15-week AI course titled “The Agentic Self” in January 2026.

“This professorship marks a new chapter in my life,” said will.i.am in an ASU press release. “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.”

Will.i.am and ASU’s collaboration won’t stop with the course. In fact, it will spawn an education platform, called EDU.FYI, that uses NVIDIA technology to help students in their education and student life, such as creating AI agents and collaborating with their peers.

“The future of education will be shaped by how students learn about AI and use it to amplify their creativity, values and ambitions,” said NVIDIA VP of Media and Entertainment Richard Kerris. “Built on the NVIDIA AI stack, this collaboration with ASU, FYI.AI and will.i.am creates a foundation for the next generation of leaders to develop the skills to create and work with AI agents in ways that are empathetic, ethical and empowering.”