Course Description:

AI and Islamic Texts: Using Large Language Models on Biographies is a hands-on special topics course that introduces students to prompt engineering and large language models (LLMs) through the study of Islamic biographical texts. Working with digitized Arabic narrative biographies across genres, such as hadith transmitters, political figures, poets, and artists, students will design and test prompts that ask AI to extract structured information from narratives and transform it into tabular data. The course emphasizes experimentation with different prompt strategies and AI models, offering practical experience at the intersection of AI and the humanities.

Who should take this course? Anyone curious about how AI can be applied to humanities texts and interested in a highly hands-on, practical course. Knowledge of Arabic is helpful but not required, no prior experience with AI is necessary. 

Course Registration Info:

• CRN: 46273
• Meeting Times: Tuesdays & Thursdays at 3:10 PM - 4:30 PM
• Taught by Professor Mairaj Syed

If you have any questions, contact ME/SA Advisor Mishaal Weatherford at [email protected]