The Department of Digital Systems, School of Informatics and Communication Technologies, of University of Piraeus, and the Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications of NCSR "Demokritos" organize and operate the Inter-Institutional MSc entitled "Artificial Intelligence", which started from the academic year 2019-2020.
Artificial Intelligence, as a specific domain in computer science, exists officially and with that name since the 50s. Today, it is a very well-defined field of science and technology that overlaps with many other domains besides those in computer science: philosophy, ethics, economics, statistics, linguistics, neuro-physiology, sociology, just to name a few.
It covers a multitude of topics: knowledge representation and reasoning, computational logic, natural language understanding/generation/processing, systems autonomy, artificial characters for education/entertainment, machine learning, computer vision, agents and multiagent systems, robotics and data analysis.
Therefore, today Artificial Intelligence is a well-recognized and internationally established scientific domain of computer science, while it is a well-defined subject of study in all Universities and Research Centres around the world.
Why now
Especially in today's era, appropriate conditions and special opportunities support and foster the development of Artificial Intelligence, which is a driving force for the digital and so called, knowledge economy. It is worth mentioning that as the capacities and potential of Artificial Intelligence methods increase day by day, there is a special emphasis on the risks and the ethical issues that these methods introduce.
The biggest opportunity for Artificial Intelligence today is the accessibility of low-cost computing power, as well as the availability of large amount of data that can be harnessed to support people in managing complexity, providing better services and thus, improve many areas of modern life.
The biggest challenges include (a) the existence of data that can be exploited, but it is not known "how" this can be done effectively, (b) the existence of important problems that require specialized knowledge that should be somehow acquired to support automation in problem solving, (c) the existence of problems with an inherent complexity, requiring methods that can cope with high-dimensionality, extremely large search spaces, and/or the participation of multiple "players" with particular interests and priorities and often with demands for optimal solutions, and finally (d) addressing ethical concerns on the use of artificial intelligence systems in real-world problems.
There are many expectations for Artificial Intelligence that are potentially achievable, but for sure Artificial Intelligence has developed mature methods that seem to respond successfully to solving real problems, without overlooking the fact that these technological developments can create problems if the technology is developed and deployed in an un-ethical manner.
We have to point out emphatically that the demand for human resources with knowledge, competences and skills regarding Artificial Intelligence techniques and methods, is growing globally.
The MSc on Artificial Intelligence objective
The programme aims to offer a comprehensive curriculum and a reach educational/learning experience through different academic activities, so as to educate students with the knowledge needed to deeply understand, successfully apply, analyse and provide support for solving real-life problems that demand artificial intelligence solutions, evaluate and create artificial intelligence methods, in a as broad as possible spectrum of topics and domains.
Professor George A. Vouros, Director of the MSc in Artificial Intelligence
Given the opportunities and challenges that emerge in our era, the technological developments in the context of Artificial Intelligence, as well as the international needs to fill the gap of knowledge and skills in industry, as far as Artificial Intelligence is concerned, this Inter-Institutional Master's Program aims to impart the necessary knowledge, skills and competences to its students, so that they can:
• Leverage existing techniques and develop new/innovative Artificial Intelligence techniques and methods.
• Recognize the particularities of real-world problems they have to address, analyse and compare potential solutions and provide successful Artificial Intelligence solutions.
• Understand and recognize the limitations of Artificial Intelligence techniques and methods in relation to the problems to be solved.
• Develop a creative attitude for Artificial Intelligence techniques and methods.
These should happen within a framework of rules of ethics for the use of technology, promoting science and technology for the benefit of humanity.
You can find more specific information on the learning outcomes, including competences and skills, targeted by the MSc curriculum in this page.
The Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications of the National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos" conducts research and develops technologies in the fields of Telecommunications, Networks, Intelligent Information Systems and the Internet. It aims to promote excellence and innovation, in its areas of interest, for the benefit of society and the development of the knowledge economy. The Institute emphasizes both long-term basic research and applied research by implementing targeted research and technology projects. At the same time, it plays an active role in the training of new research potential by providing scholarships at postgraduate and post-doctoral level, as well as their employment in research projects. Finally, special emphasis is placed on the utilization of research results as well as on their general diffusion in the economy, society and citizens.
The Department of Digital Systems of the University of Piraeus was founded in 1999 and covers, both at the teaching and research level, important branches of the Digital Economy and the Knowledge Society, including Artificial Intelligence.
The aim of the undergraduate studies program is to produce specialized scientists capable of contributing to the development, implementation and management of modern digital technology systems.
On this basis, the following study directions operate in the Undergraduate Study Program of the Department:
© National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos" for the Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications and University of Piraeus for the Department of Digital Systems 2023. The contents of this website may be freely reproduced for non-commercial purposes.
