May 19, 2026
The 51-year-old musician, whose real name is William Adams, began teaching “The Agentic Self” earlier this year.
Grammy-winning artist and tech entrepreneur Will.i.am is entering higher education by offering lessons on artificial intelligence (AI) at Arizona State University with a new course focused on AI-driven digital assistants.
The 51-year-old musician, whose real name is William Adams, began teaching “The Agentic Self” earlier this year. This 16-week class aims to help students understand and create AI agents that can handle tasks on their own. The course blends technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship, reflecting Adams’ long-term involvement in the tech industry beyond music.
“Agentic is the next step, where the agent is able to do tasks and workflows on your behalf. You set it on its course, and it would reason, research, browse, generate — all autonomously,” Will.i.am shared with Arizona State University.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Adams felt nervous before teaching the course, despite his years of performing for large audiences. He took inspiration from the structure of “Where Is the Love?” to help organize his lectures. The focus was on identifying problems, discussing solutions, and promoting reflection.
Students in the class join remotely and in person from Los Angeles and Arizona. They hear from guest speakers from major tech companies, including OpenAI and NVIDIA. Adams encourages students to welcome rapid changes in technology and see AI as a means of personal empowerment, rather than something to fear.
Adams’ connection to technology goes back over two decades. BE covered the rapper’s early investment in Tesla and OpenAI, having previously worked with Intel as director of creative innovation, and has regularly appeared at major tech conferences around the world.
Outside the classroom, Adams is expanding his technology projects. Earlier this year, BE also reported that Adams introduced an AI-powered three-wheeled electric vehicle called Trinity and is reportedly developing additional projects in artificial intelligence and consumer technology.
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