Every adult across the UK now has access to complimentary artificial intelligence training, as the government rolls out courses designed to equip individuals with crucial AI tools for the modern workplace.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has announced that the modules are intended to boost productivity and cultivate higher-skilled employment by liberating workers from repetitive tasks.
The courses are available via the government’s AI Skills Hub website, where users are invited to complete 14 free modules, which will start them on their journey to build foundational AI skills. Amazon, Google and Microsoft have helped to build the courses, which include mastering prompts and how to use AI for business innovation.
The courses range from 20 minutes to 9 hours and once completed, users will receive an AI skills boost badge, signifying their new skills. A wider range of courses, some of which require payment, are also available via the AI Skills Hub website.
This initiative, which has garnered cross-sector support from a panel of experts spanning business and trade unions, aims to position Britain as the fastest AI-adopting nation within the G7 group of leading industrialised countries.
The NHS, the British Chambers of Commerce and the Local Government Association are reportedly among those that have welcomed the scheme and will encourage employees to sign up for the free courses.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall underscored the government's dual strategy, stating: "We want AI to work for Britain, and that means ensuring Britons can work with AI. Change is inevitable, but the consequences of change are not.
“We will protect people from the risks of AI while ensuring everyone can share in its benefits. That starts with giving people the skills and confidence they need to seize the opportunities AI brings, putting the power and control into their hands."
