The Swampscott Recreation Department’s new program will teach residents about the basics of artificial intelligence (AI) systems with a hands-on class.

The workshop is geared toward adults and will be held on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00 pm at the Clarke Elementary School. Overture AI approached the Recreation Department with the idea of hosting a class, and Overture CEO Aspen Buckingham will help lead the program. All necessary equipment and materials will be provided by Overture.

Recreation Program Coordinator Christina O’Connor said the class will be very interactive and teach registrants about safety measures when using AI.

“AI is definitely a hot topic right now,” said O’Connor. “This is a great opportunity to introduce some people to it. The safety aspect of the class stuck out to us.”

The addition of the workshop aligns with the Recreation Department’s goal to offer something for everyone, of all ages, with their programming catalogue.

“Overture is going to go over where to start,” said O’Connor. “It’ll be a hands-on introduction.”

An intro to AI for youth, which would be less hands-on, could be on the horizon at the Recreation Department as well.

“In this interactive session, we’ll start with your real-life challenges—work, personal tasks, or things that take up too much time—and Aspen will show you how AI can help you personally,” reads a Recreation Department listing for the adult class. “The goal is for you to leave with at least one practical way to use AI to save an hour or more every week, based on your own needs.”