Microsoft Launches Free AI Training Courses To Help Workers Grasp New Skills

As artificial intelligence continues to sweep the globe, companies are growing increasingly dependent on the technology—be it using the tool to dub videos, keep track of group discussions, or even remove awkward pauses from corporate press releases.

In fact, the World Economic Forum reported that AI skills now rank as the third-highest priority for organizations’ training strategies, just losing out to analytical and creative thinking.

Knowing this, Microsoft recently announced it would be launching a new AI training program to help modern-day workers expand their skills through coursework, all free of charge. Developed in partnership with LinkedIn, the course will introduce basic AI concepts and frameworks.

The course is currently available in English on LinkedIn Learning and will be launching in Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese in the coming months. It will remain free to use through 2025.

Once an employee has completed the course, they’ll receive a Career Essentials certificate. For companies looking to teach larger groups of workers or students at once, a trainer toolkit, which will include an AI course built specifically for educators, is currently in the works.

Such courses could ease the worry C-suite executives have about the growing use of AI in the workplace. According to a June Equinix survey, over two in five technology leaders are concerned about their team’s capacity to deal with the influx of AI-powered tools.

This isn’t the first time one of the technology giants is helping to educate the public on the use of AI and the numerous applications that have taken over the internet. Previously, in May, Google released a collection of free generative AI training courses as well.

In addition to the program, Microsoft will be spearheading a global grant program to help train more workers on the uses of AI. This is expected to go towards organizations focused on “fair and community-led” uses of generative tools, especially within historically marginalized groups.

“While much focus has been on the potential for AI to drive efficiency and unleash human creativity, AI also represents a sea of change for how people can learn,” explained Kate Behncken, Corporate Vice-President of Microsoft Philanthropies.

“We’ll need to revolutionize how we train people, and we believe that AI skills can help. We’re just starting to explore the possibilities. And that’s incredibly exciting—and daunting,” she added. Head here to learn more about the new AI learning opportunity.

[via CIO Dive and GeekWire, cover image via Andreistanescu | Dreamstime.com]