LLMs Unplugged: A tech-free guide to understanding (and teaching) AI | 25 Nov

LLMs Unplugged: A tech-free guide to understanding and teaching AI 

Despite the rapid uptake of AI around the globe (including right here in Australia), most people have no real mental model of what’s actually happening under the hood of our most popular AI tools.

Rather than accepting the hand-wave-y and mystical-sounding explanations, join us in this fun and informative workshop where you'll learn about Large Language Models (LLMs) - the technology behind the mind-boggling abilities of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot - without actually touching any tech. Through hands-on activities and discussion, you’ll learn the basic principles and language of LLMs.  

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND

Having a better understanding of how large language models work will help to demystify AI and provide a shared understanding and vocabulary for framing AI systems. These foundations will help to you better understand the probabilistic nature of LLMs, the importance of data, and the ways that bias and engineered decisions in the models may present themselves. 

A NOTE FOR EDUCATORS

If you're a high school or upper primary teacher and find yourself having conversations with your students about AI, this workshop is for you. Our activities can be easily replicated in the classroom with readily available materials and are supported by a range of open-access online resources. The workshop relates to core curriculum outcomes in maths, technologies, HASS and literacy and requires zero coding background and no maths beyond basic counting and percentages. We're so excited to share this workshop with teachers that we're offering subsidised places - make sure you select the Educator ticket option on the next page. Participants of this workshop will accrue 2 hours of accredited PD time through TQI.

If you have any questions, email us at cybernetics@anu.edu.au.