Photo courtesy of Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps Twitter.

Applications are now open for the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp, which will take place this fall.

Any high school students in Dallas are eligible to apply for the free bootcamp, and the foundation is working to recruit “students from underserved communities with a key focus on girls and students of color,” according to the foundation’s Twitter page.

Students don’t need to have any experience with computer science or programming to attend the four half-day sessions in October and November.

Preston Hollow neighbor Mark Cuban started the AI Bootcamps initiative in 2019, and this year, the organization plans to offer the program to more than 300 students in 13 cities across the country.

“I saw the impact of PCs,” Cuban says. “Then I saw the impact of local area networks. Then I saw the impact of wide area networks. Then I saw the impact of the Internet. Then I saw the impact of mobile. Then I saw the impact of wireless. Now I’m seeing the impact of artificial intelligence. And it dwarfs any of those things.”

According to a Wall Street Journal article published last year, Cuban committed $2 million to expand the program and help the foundation reach its goal of enrolling 1,000 students in the bootcamps by 2023.

During the sessions, participants will learn concepts and skills related to AI, including what AI is, where they already engage with AI in daily life, the ethical implications of AI systems and how to use Microsoft’s cloud computing tools to build AI applications.

Each camp session will begin with a talk from a guest speaker and a Q&A. Then, students will have an interactive lesson on topics such as chatbots, machine learning, computer vision and natural language processing. The day will conclude with a lab exercise, where students will have help from host company mentors at Headstorm, Perficient and Elevate.

The camp runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 23, Oct. 30, Nov. 6 and Nov. 13. There are three location in the Dallas area: Headstorm, Perficient and Elevate Credit.

Apply here.