Welcome to Human-AI Interaction!

Overview

This is the public website for Carnegie Mellon University’s Human–AI Interaction class. In short, the goal of this class is to introduce students to ways of thinking about how Artificial Intelligence will and has impacted humans, and how we can design interactive intelligent systems that are usable and beneficial to humans, and respect human values. As students in this course, you will build a number of different interactive technologies powered by AI, gain practical experience with what impacts their usability for humans, understand the various places that humans exist in the data pipeline that drives machine learning, and learn to think both optimistically and critically of what AI systems can do and how they can and should be integrated into society.

Logistics

  • Course: 05618/05318 Human-AI Interaction
  • Time: We now offer two sections each semester: Monday/Wednesday section from 2:00–3:20 and Tuesday/Thursday section from 12:30–1:50.

Instructors

Syllabus

Here are the syllabus and course schedule for the Spring 2026 course offering.
Specifically, grading will be based on your performance on the following activities.

Percentage Activity
15% Reading Reflections
15% Attendance and In-class Activity Participation
40% Assignment 1-4, 10% each
30% Final Project
2.5% Extra Bonus

FAQs

  • I am a CMU student without a CS major. Can I take the class? Yes. We welcome CMU students from all disciplinary backgrounds, majors, programs, and levels (from undergraduate to graduate) to take this class. We designed the course materials so that students from diverse backgrounds can understand and benefit from them.

  • I am on the waitlist. How can I get off the waitlist? We have limited seats each semester, but we are doing everything we can to accommodate students’ requests. If you are on the waitlist, please watch for an email from the instructors with instructions on how to be removed from the waitlist, usually right before the first lecture. You are also welcome to attend the first week of class even if you are on the waitlist.

  • Do the homework assignments involve programming? Yes. Please check Assignment 1 to assess the level of programming required for this class.

  • I am a CMU student currently taking this class. How should I access course content and ask questions? If you are a CMU student enrolled in this class, please use Canvas, Slack, and your CMU email account. We will use Canvas for all slides, assignments, and grades. Please post all course-related questions on Slack as discussion posts. If you need to email the instructors, use your CMU email and include “HAII Course” in the subject line.

  • I am interested in teaching a similar class at a different institution. Can I borrow some elements from this class? Of course. Please feel free to use the content on this site (and cite or acknowledge us). If you have any further questions, email the instructors directly. We are happy to share class materials with instructors who are interested in offering similar courses at other institutions.

Value Statement

It is our goal that students from all different backgrounds and perspectives are well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. Dimensions of diversity include race, age, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, intellectual and physical ability, sexual orientation, faith and non-faith perspectives, socio-economic class, political ideology, education, primary language, family status, military experience, cognitive style, and communication style. We are intentional in our aim to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity, based on these dimensions and any other visible and invisible differences not captured in this list. Indeed, in this class you will learn to approach technology design from an empathetic, human-centered perspective that directly examines and challenges bias and inequality. Your suggestions for ensuring that the class lives up to these values are encouraged and welcomed.