Will.i.am Teaches "Agentic AI" at Arizona State University
"It is the greatest time to dream and materialize concepts."
Black Eyed Peas co-founder will.i.am is bringing his tech expertise to the classroom. He is now teaching a three-hour weekly class on "agentic AI" at Arizona State University. The course, attended by about 80 students, focuses on building AI agents—software that performs tasks autonomously.
"You are each a 'company,'" will.i.am told his students during a recent class, encouraging them to think of themselves as individual enterprises. Students reported that the course makes AI accessible, even to those without a technical background.
Humans can compete with AI only if they are hyper-creative, will.i.am stated. He described a clear link between his early experiment making a rap tape using his sister's cassette and the "MÖFO" AI agent-powered Teddy bear he developed with Qualcomm, shown at CES 2025. The agent is intended for productivity and learning.
Will.i.am’s experimentation with AI in music dates back over a decade, as depicted in the 2010 Black Eyed Peas music video for "Imma Be Rocking That Body." In his class, he discusses the ethics and accountability of AI, showing a video that warns about the risks of corporate agents without guardrails.
Beyond the classroom, will.i.am is a significant investor in AI companies including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Udio, and has partnered with Apple, Intel, and Nvidia. Former Intel CMO Deborah Conrad called him a "great brand ambassador."
Tech journalist Brian Merchant noted it is hard to reconcile will.i.am's passion for technology with his corporate partnerships, but said that does not mean his goal of making AI work is not genuine.
Will.i.am co-founded Beats Electronics with Dr. Dre, which was sold to Apple in 2014. USC musicology professor Nate Sloan observed that will.i.am has made technology more integral to his identity than other musicians.
Looking ahead, the Black Eyed Peas plan an overseas tour in June 2025. Will.i.am also released the song "East LA" in 2024. He is currently developing a car with an AI agent and hopes to teach a second semester at ASU.