Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping society, and Arizona State University is positioning itself at the center of that transformation through a new partnership with tech entrepreneur and musician Will.i.am.
The university announced the collaboration this week in New York City, unveiling a course titled “The Agentic Self” that will debut in spring 2026. The 15-week class will be taught by Will.i.am, who joins ASU as a professor of practice in its GAME School, a program devoted to advancing digital fluency across academic fields.
ASU President Michael Crow said the appointment reflects the university’s mission to fuse creative industries with technological innovation. “Our graduates must be ready for the powerful shift in jobs toward AI,” Crow said. “This pioneering partnership with will.i.am is an unbelievable opportunity for our students to learn from his extraordinary experience.”
Will.I.Am Appointed Professor At Arizona State University
For Will.i.am, frontman of the Black Eyed Peas, the role continues his work at the intersection of innovation and education. Over the past decade, he has developed AI tools.
Will.I.Am have advised Fortune 100 companies. He pressed for stronger ethical frameworks around artificial intelligence. His i.am Angel Foundation has provided STEM programs to thousands of Los Angeles students.
“This professorship marks a new chapter in my life,” he said. “‘The Agentic Self’ represents a solution to AI replacing human jobs.” He connected the course to a question that has guided his music career: “Where’s the love?”
The initiative also introduces EDU.FYI, a platform derived from his FYI.AI system and built in partnership with Nvidia. The tool will allow ASU students and faculty to design their own AI agents. They will integrate machine learning into coursework and foster collaboration across disciplines.
Richard Kerris, Nvidia’s vice president of media and entertainment, called the collaboration a blueprint for higher education. “The next generation of leaders will need to create and work with AI agents in ways that are empathetic, ethical and empowering,” he said.
ASU is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the nation’s most innovative university. The opportunity sees the partnership as an opportunity to demonstrate how human creativity and artificial intelligence can work together.
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