James Weichert

Hi, I'm James. 👋

I'm an assistant teaching professor at the University of Washington Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. I teach courses on programming, artificial intelligence, and social impacts of computing. As an educator, my goals are to help students discover and sustain a love for computing, and to promote a vision for computer science as a human-focused, empathetic, and self-critical discipline. My scholarship focuses on the intersections of computing education, AI, ethics, and public policy.

I received an M.S. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech in 2025 and graduated from UC Berkeley in 2023 with majors in computer science and data science and a minor in public policy. In my spare time, I like to travel 🚆, read 📚, and cook 🍳.

What I'm Currently Enjoying...

• Books Atlas of AI by Kate Crawford, Venice: A New History by Thomas F. Madden
• Food Bruschetta 🍅, scones 🥮

At the University of Washington, I teach courses on introductory programming, AI/ML, and social impacts of computing. I'm especially interested in how to teach with and about artificial intelligence in both introductory and upper-level courses.

University of Washington

• CSE 160 Data Programming

  Winter 2026, Autumn 2026

• CSE 480 Computer Ethics Seminar

  Spring 2026, Winter 2026, Autumn 2026

• CSE 473 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

  Summer 2026

• CSE 391 System and Software Tools

  Spring 2026, Summer 2026

• CSE 121 Introduction to Computer Programming I

  Autumn 2025

My research explores the dual role of CS students as consumers of and learners about AI technologies. I am interested both in what policies might shape the development and use of AI in the public and private sectors, and in how we teach students about AI and its impacts on society. A particular strand of inquiry explores student attitudes and competencies related to AI ethics and policy, culminating in the creation of a two-lecture "AI Policy Module" for technical AI/ML and standalone CS ethics courses. The module is intended to go beyond the 'surface-level' treatment of AI ethics, focusing instead on how tools, policies, and governance structures can be leveraged to promote the responsible development and use of AI.

Publications

2026

• J. Weichert (2026). "Exploring the AI Principles-to-Practices Gap with an Interactive AI Alignment Lab," (Tips, Techniques and Courseware) ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE) 2026.
• N. Talukdar and J. Weichert (2026). "Artifact-Based Computing Ethics Education: Bridging Analysis and Practice," (Tips, Techniques and Courseware) ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE) 2026.
• J. Weichert and H. Eldardiry (2026). "Scoping the AI Curriculum: Key Competencies for Future AI Practitioners," AI and Ethics.
• J. Weichert and H. Eldardiry (2026). "Framing Discussions of AI Policy Implications in Computing Courses," (Poster) ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) 2026.
• S. Sun, B. McOwen, J. Weichert, H. Eldardiry, D. Kim, and Q. Zhu (2026). "Developing a Typology of Roles for STEM-Trained Professionals in AI Policy Engagement," Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society.

2025

• J. Weichert, D. Kim, Q. Zhu, and H. Eldardiry (2025). "Assessing Computer Science Student Attitudes Towards AI Ethics and Policy," AI and Ethics.
• J. Weichert and H. Eldardiry (2025). "Economic Competition, EU Regulation, and Executive Orders: A Framework for Discussing AI Policy Implications in CS Courses," Arxiv.
• J. Weichert, D. Dunlap, M. Farghally, and H. Eldardiry (2025). "The AI Policy Module: Developing Computer Science Student Competency in AI Ethics and Policy," IEEE Frontiers in Education 2025.
• J. Weichert and H. Eldardiry (2025). "Educating a Responsible AI Workforce: Piloting a Curricular Module on AI Policy in a Graduate Machine Learning Course," American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference 2025.
• E. Ali, J. Weichert, Y. Sun, H. Eldaridry, Q. Zhu, and D. Kim (2025). "Exploring Translational Ethical Competency (TEC) in AI Design: Conceptual Analysis and Methodological Reflections from a Pilot Study," IEEE ETHICS 2025.
• J. Weichert, D. Kim, Q. Zhu, and H. Eldardiry (2025). "'Do I Have to Take This Class?': A Review of Ethics Requirements in Computer Science Curricula," ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) 2025.
• J. Weichert, Q. Zhu, D. Kim, and H. Eldardiry (2025). "Perceptions of AI Ethics Policies Among Scientists and Engineers in Policy-Related Roles: An Exploratory Investigation," Digital Society.
• J. Kim, M. Klopfer, J.R. Grohs, H. Eldardiry, J. Weichert, L.A. Cox II, and D. Pike (2025). "Examining Faculty and Student Perceptions of Generative AI in University Courses," Innovative Higher Education.

2024

• J. Weichert and C. Dimobi (2024). "DUPE: Detection Undermining via Prompt Engineering for Deepfake Text," Arxiv.
• J. Weichert and H. Eldardiry (2024). "Computer Science Student Attitudes Towards AI Ethics and Policy: A Preliminary Investigation," IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS) 2024.

Thesis