UPROXX Studios’ Chief Visionary Officer will.i.am is pushing the limits of what it means to innovate – in culture and in the tech industry. Building on his recent work at UPROXX, where he helped fuse next-gen digital platforms with bold and impactful storytelling, the multi-platinum artist and founder of FYI.AI is taking his mission of AI education global, launching a pioneering course at Arizona State University and spearheading a UN–Google initiative that trains students in Africa. His goal? To show that creativity and AI aren’t just compatible – together, they’re unstoppable.
At ASU, he assumes the role of Professor of Practice at The GAME School, where he designs and teaches “The Agentic Self,” a 15-week course that aims to equip students not only with technical skills but also with creative agency in an AI-driven world. Using his FYI.AI platform and NVIDIA’s AI tools, students will build personalized AI companions, or “Agentic Selves,” designed to grow with them throughout their academic and professional lives.
“This professorship marks a new chapter in my life,” will.i.am said, adding that The Agentic Self “represents a solution to AI replacing human jobs.” The class promises a rare combination: rigorous technical training, ethical grounding, and a hands-on creative approach that reflects will.i.am’s own experience as a technologist and entrepreneur.
Across the globe, he is doubling down on that ethos. In partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Google, will.i.am is bringing AI and robotics education to underserved students in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. The program prioritizes inclusion, aiming to give girls and other marginalized youth access to tools and training that will prepare them to shape the AI-driven economy.
“In our global tech-driven economy, it’s urgent that we help bring young people in critically underserved areas up to speed so they can participate,” will.i.am said. Google Senior VP James Manyika added, “To take full advantage of the opportunities presented by AI, we must democratize access, making it available to everyone, everywhere.”
The thread connecting all of this is clear: will.i.am is the bridge – not just between music and tech, but also between creativity and engineering, local impact and global ambition. From UPROXX Studios to FYI.AI, he has consistently turned ideas into platforms and platforms into movements. With the ASU course and the UN–Google initiative, he’s teaching students how to lead, create, and innovate in a world where technology shapes every part of our lives. In short, will.i.am isn’t just participating in the future of AI, he’s building it – and making sure everyone has a seat at the table.