CSE D 501: Modern Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Autumn 2025

Course Staff

Course Overview

This course builds the foundational skills for utilizing AI and ML techniques. This includes mathematical and coding skills, fundamental concepts in AI ethics such as bias and fairness, potential pitfalls and drawbacks of different AI and ML methods, and an overview of how AI and ML can be applied to real applications. 

Class Schedule/Location

Wednesdays, 6:30-9:20 pm, CSE2 G01

Course Materials

There is no mandatory textbook. All course materials will be provided on the course website and Canvas.

Communication and Office Hours

The staff is available to help you on the Ed forum and during office hours. Please consider first asking questions on the Ed forum, so that others can also benefit from the shared responses. You are also free to answer other students' questions on the Ed forum if you know the answer; avoid sharing coded or fully written questions directly. If you cannot make any of the office hours, please let us know and we will try to accommodate. Ed questions can be asked anonymously to your fellow students, but course staff can see who posts anonymous questions.

• Taylor Kessler Faulkner, instructor, Monday 5-7 pm, Zoom

  • Sign up for office hours prior to 5 pm Monday to attend

  • Link to sign up posted/pinned on the Ed forum

  • If you will not attend, cancel your Zoom registration

• Vlad Murad, TA, 

  • Wednesday 5:30 - 6:30 pm, In Person, Location: CSE1 5th Floor Breakout.  

  • Tuesday 5:30 - 6:30 pm, Zoom, Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/8110078030 

If you have any concerns about the classroom or course climate, you can contact the instructor directly (taylorkf at cs.washington.edu), refer to the resources listed in the Policies sections, or use the CSE anonymous feedback tool.

Course Links

Please use Ed for course-related questions. We will use Gradescope for assignment submissions. The course Canvas will be used for a gradebook and sharing lecture recordings and assignment files.

Grades

Your grades for this course will consist of the following:

• Assignments (4), worth 20% each

• Midterm exam (1), worth 10%

• Final exam (1), worth 10%

The percentile grades will be translated to a 4 point scale using a linear transformation (not curved). I do not guarantee specific cutoffs on the 4.0 scale in advance, as they may be adjusted given the difficulty of upcoming assignments/exams.

Policies

Academic Integrity

• All work will be turned in electronically.

• Assignments should be done individually unless otherwise specified. You may discuss the subject matter, assignments, and prepare for exams with other students in the class, but all final answers must be your own work. You are expected to maintain the utmost level of academic integrity in the course, pertinent to the Allen School's policy on academic misconduct.

• Each student has six penalty-free late days for the whole quarter. Consecutive days off (weekends or holidays) count as one late day. 

• The maximum late days that can be used per assignment is two.

• You must link pages to questions for written assignments submitted to Gradescope. You will lose 0.25 points off the assignment if you do not do so. (For guidance watch this video on how to do this.)

AI Usage

Students in this course are allowed to explore the use of AI-based tools (such as UW’s version of Copilot) when completing assignments. All sources, including AI tools, must be properly cited. Use of AI without proper citation will be considered academic misconduct and subject to investigation.

Please note that AI results can be biased and inaccurate. It is your responsibility to ensure that the information you use from AI is accurate. Additionally, pay attention to the privacy of your data. Many AI tools will incorporate and use any content you share, so be careful not to unintentionally share copyrighted materials, original work, or personal information.

Learning how to thoughtfully and strategically use AI-based tools may help you develop your skills, refine your work, and prepare you for your future career. If you have any questions about citation or about what constitutes academic integrity in this course or at the University of Washington, please feel free to contact me to discuss your concerns.

General Accommodations

If you have any unforeseen or extenuating circumstance that arise during the course, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your situation. The sooner we are made aware, the more easily we can address such situations. 

Religious Accomodations

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).

Accommodations & Access

If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between the student, instructor, and DRS.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

Title IX

UW, through numerous policies, prohibits sex- and gender-based violence and harassment, and we expect students, faculty, and staff to act professionally and respectfully in all work, learning, and research environments. For support, resources, and reporting options related to sex- and gender-based violence or harassment, visit UW Title IX’s webpage (https://www.washington.edu/titleix/), specifically the Know Your Rights & Resources guide (https://www.washington.edu/titleix/files/2020/08/KYRR-guide-8-10-2020-LINKED.pdf). 

If you choose to disclose information to me about sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, I will connect you (or the person who experienced the conduct) with resources and individuals who can best provide support and options. You can also access those resources directly:

• Confidential: Confidential advocates (https://www.washington.edu/sexualassault/support/advocacy/) will not share information with others unless given express permission by the person who has experienced the harm or when required by law.

• Private and/or anonymous: SafeCampus (https://www.washington.edu/safecampus/) provides consultation and support and can connect you with additional resources if you want them. You can contact SafeCampus anonymously or share limited information when you call

Please note that some senior leaders and other specified employees have been identified as “Officials Required to Report.” (https://www.washington.edu/titleix/title-ix-officials-required-to-report/) If an Official Required to Report learns of possible sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, they are required to call SafeCampus and report all the details they have in order to ensure that the person who experienced harm is offered support and reporting options (https://www.washington.edu/titleix/resources/).

Mental health & wellbeing resources

The following wellbeing & mental health resources are available to you on campus: 

• Let’s Talk connects you with support from a counselor without an appointment via drop-in hours.

• The Counseling Center provides you with personal counseling, assessment, referral, and crisis intervention services (206-543-1240).

• Hall Health Mental Health provides you with a range of services to assess and treat mental health concerns including psychiatry and associated medication management support (206-543-5030).

• UW LiveWell provides you with support and case consultation if you are experiencing personal hardship, including academic hardship as the result of extenuating life circumstances (206-543-6085).

• Husky Health & Well-Being provides you with a central online resource for access to health and wellness services across the campus.

• Academic Advising can help if you are experiencing challenges navigating academic commitments.

• SafeCampus is here for you 24/7 if you ever need to privately discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others (206-685-SAFE [7233]). SafeCampus’s team of caring professionals will provide individualized support, while discussing short- and long-term solutions and connecting you with additional resources when requested.

• Forefront Suicide Prevention provides information and services to reduce suicide by empowering individuals and communities to take sustainable action, championing systemic change, and restoring hope (206-543-1016).

• Crisis Clinic: If you or someone you know experiences a crisis outside of business hours, please call the Crisis Clinic at 206-461-3222.

• Food and Housing: If you are experiencing food or housing insecurity, you can start with UW emergency Aid (https://www.washington.edu/emergencyaid/) or the UW Food Pantry (https://www.washington.edu/anyhungryhusky/). If you are concerned about your mental, emotional, or physical safety for yourself or others, call SafeCampus at 206-685-7233 anytime – no matter where you work or study – to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. SafeCampus’s team of caring professionals will provide individualized support, while discussing short- and long-term solutions and connecting you with additional resources when requested.

• Study Centers: https://www.engr.washington.edu/current/academics/studycenters