Bringing the world of AI to everyone
by Portia Yip, Marketing Services
AI (artificial intelligence) may be trending right now, but the topic has been circulating for years.
Peter Scott, an instructor with Continuing Studies at UVic, started talking about AI back in 2012. “I published my first book about it in 2017,” he says. “There was so much to tackle, and I wanted to organize my thinking.”
The rise of AI and why it matters
Peter has given keynote speeches to audiences from Bali to the British Parliament and has delivered not one, but three TEDx talks. Today, Peter calls this moment “a hockey stick in human history.” He compares AI to previous innovations of the past like agriculture, which changed how we feed ourselves. “AI is the electrification of thinking but at a speed and scale humans can’t match,” he says.
AI is the electrification of thinking but at a speed and scale humans can’t match."
This shift may be exciting and terrifying (or both) at the same time. In Peter’s classes, learners show a range of experiences and feelings about AI. For years, Peter taught AI literacy courses where most of the learning was spent on explaining what AI is about, where it appears in daily life, and the limits of AI. The challenges were helping learners move from big, abstract questions—like “does God exist?” or “what’s the secret to life?”—to smaller, more personal ones.
For example, starting simple and asking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe before moving on to more practical questions. “People thought [AI] could answer everything,” Peter shares. “It was a matter of helping them see that AI can be used in ways that connected to their own lives.”
Making AI practical and personal for learners
Since the widespread popularity of ChatGPT, Peter’s course, Using Artificial Intelligence for Your Life and Work, has evolved to meet learners where they are. Now, many learners typically have some hands-on experience with AI, or they want to strengthen their skills in the area. Over multiple sessions, the course introduces practical applications, explores ethical questions, and gives students space to experiment.
“Everyone has their own thing—one person realized AI could generate knitting patterns and another used it to help plan her wedding,” Peter shares. “And someone else used it to build a website for their bowling club. The number of things AI can do for you is far bigger than I could ever imagine.”
Peter’s AI course isn’t just about technical skills, it’s about framing the right mental models. By showing learners how AI works (e.g., through ways like pattern recognition), Peter helps reduce feelings of alienation or intimidation. “The more you understand that it’s not reasoning the way that we do when answering a question, but it’s completing a pattern, the more empowering it becomes to feel competent using it.”
Preparing for an AI-driven future in education
Looking ahead, Peter’s work is expanding into high schools; specifically training teachers and students together in a shared framework based on UNESCO’s AI competency standards.
“Innovation in AI and education now starts with students,” he notes. “We’re helping teachers become the front line of developing the right answers for the generation that’s going to use AI to change the world.”
From public speaking to hosting his own weekly podcast, AI and You, Peter continues to create spaces where people can talk about and engage with AI in meaningful, relevant ways. “My motto is: I want to see what comes next,” he says. “We’re living through a change as big as the industrial revolution but it’s 10 or 50 times faster, and the only way to keep up is to understand it.”
About the instructor
Peter Scott received a master's degree in computer science from Cambridge University and went to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He helps schools and other organizations understand and leverage the disruption from artificial intelligence (AI). He has written two books, delivered three TEDx talks, and testified before a British parliamentary committee on our future with AI.
- Posted December 1, 2025