Since the launch and rise of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, the use of AI in education has surged exponentially. Ayaka Sanui, a final-year student at Japan’s Keio University, pursuing a BA in Environment and Information Studies, has experienced this firsthand. She has become Fox Academy’s AI Community’s first student president. Fox Academy is a platform that specializes in AI courses and aims to empower professionals and new entrepreneurs. Originally from India, it expanded to Japan around two years ago. The courses, available in both English and Japanese, are designed and delivered by top industry experts from India and Japan, ranking among the top 1% in their fields. The focus is on collaborative learning and unique opportunities for Japanese students to work directly with students of leading Indian universities and AI professionals.
Sanui’s journey to discovering AI in her studies began with her major in molecular biology and extended interest in sociology and data science. Her research topic involves viruses, and she works with programs like Python for her research, despite not being a computer science student. At the University of British Columbia, where she spent a year as an exchange student, she took courses related to data science to explore the social context and technical workings behind it. This led her to realize the importance of interdisciplinary research and the biases inherent in data, sparking her interest in AI and machine learning algorithms.
Sanui’s first opportunity to work with AI outside of academia came when she was invited to help at Takeoff Tokyo, a conference connecting Japanese and global startup ecosystems. It was there that she discovered Fox Academy and its mission to produce future leaders in the AI industry. The platform offers courses for individuals from all majors, not just technical backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary learning.
Fox Academy recently hosted its first workshop on „No-Code Tools x AI,“ where participants learned how AI tools can be incorporated into no-code website building. Sanui hopes that the academy will eventually cover science-related matters and provide comprehensive coverage of AI education for all levels of learners. Her international experience and proficiency in Japanese and English have been valuable assets in her role as the AI Community’s first student president, bridging the gap between international and Japanese students.
As Sanui continues her undergraduate studies and plans for a master’s degree abroad in biomedical sciences, she remains focused on spreading awareness about the ethics and data integrity behind AI. She believes that the impact of AI, whether positive or negative, depends on how we deal with it. Through her involvement in the AI Community, she aims to facilitate discussions on these important topics and contribute to the responsible development and use of AI in education and beyond.