And the expansion is not just happening in the country’s top science and technology schools. The University of Rhode Island this fall opened an A.I. lab operated by its college library.

But this growth also means new challenges, such as figuring out how to teach the subject in ways understandable to those who are not computer science majors and addressing ethical dilemmas raised by the technology, such as privacy and job displacement.

“We have to start teaching those who will be practitioners and users in the broad discipline of A.I., not just computer scientists,” said Emily Fox, an associate professor of computer science, engineering and statistics at the University of Washington.

Professor Fox developed an A.I. course for nonmajors, which was first offered last spring. To qualify, students had only to have completed courses in basic probability and basic programming, far fewer prerequisites than typically needed by students taking A.I.

She had to cap enrollment at 110 students because of such high interest.

Demi Tu, a senior studying information technology at the University of Washington, is an example of the value of reaching out to students who are not classic technology whizzes. She said she was so taken with what she learned in Professor Fox’s class that she may choose to pursue it in graduate school.