Mark Cuban is bringing an artificial intelligence bootcamp to Philadelphia.
The billionaire announced Monday that the city is one of 18 across the country set to host AI camps from his Mark Cuban Foundation, and the only one in the Northeast. The program is open to high school students and will take place during the first three Saturdays in November.
Applications can be submitted on the foundation's website, and all costs are covered for accepted students. Each cohort includes 20 to 25 students.
The Mark Cuban Foundation partners with local businesses to put on the bootcamps. In Philadelphia, King of Prussia-based biotechnology firm CSL Behring is the host company.
Cuban, the former majority owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, called AI an "undeniable force in all of our lives."
"While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future," he said in a statement announcing the launch of the 2024 bootcamps.
The bootcamps will explore AI's existing presence in society, the ethics surrounding the technology and how to maximize the abilities of technology like ChatGPT. Cuban founded the bootcamp program in 2019, committing $2 million a year later to expand it, according to the Wall Street Journal. The program encourages girls, students of color and students participating in free or reduced-cost lunch programs to apply to the program.
Cuban, a Pittsburgh native, holds a stake in some 200 companies, many of them thanks to his role as a celebrity investor on the hit ABC show "Shark Tank." In the Philadelphia area, his investments have included Fort Robotics, Biomeme, Strella Biotechnology, Dino Don and Simply Good Jars. The latter two were added to his portfolio through appearances on "Shark Tank."
In addition to Philadelphia, the Mark Cuban Foundation's 2024 AI bootcamps will take place in 12 states and Washington, D.C. Three are planned in both Texas and Florida, along with two in Michigan and California.
