Free Stanford AI Class is a Beta for a Commercial Launch?
September 11, 2011
Commentary by Stephen Downes

Via George Siemens comes this link to an in-depth examination of the Stanford AI open course. In a nutshell: what if this isn't actually an open course, but rather nothing more than a beta test for some new software by a company called KnowLabs. Seb Schmoller wonders whether Know Labs was already involved (or even there?) when the AI course was originally advertised. See also this Slashdot discussion. Of course there's nothing wrong with using an open course to test some software. But it would be a shame if the 'open' phase of this experiment is limited to just the courses being offered this session. The startups are circling education, writes Siemens, calling for transparency in the offering of these courses. I'm afraid he will be disappointed.

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