Microsoft Launches New AI Skills Training

Microsoft has launched a new AI skills initiative to help people and communities around the world learn how to harness the power of AI.

The AI Skills Initiative will include new, free coursework developed with LinkedIn, including the first Professional Certificate on Generative AI in the online learning market; a new open global grant challenge in coordination with data.org to uncover new ways of training workers on generative AI; and greater access to free digital learning events and resources for everyone to improve their AI fluency.

As noted in Microsoft’s recent Work Trend Index. AI is uniquely poised to create a whole new way of working just as the pace of information work is outpacing our ability to keep up. 62 percent of survey respondents said they struggle with too much time spent searching for information in their workday, while 49 percent said they’re worried that AI will replace their jobs. 70 percent of respondents said they would delegate as much work as possible to AI to lessen their workloads.

In a LinkedIn article, Kate Behncken, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Philanthropies, said that the AI Skills Initiative aims to help workers around the world stay ahead of emerging skills gaps and take advantage of these new technologies. She went ahead to give examples of how the initiative will achieve its targets including revolutionizing skills training and getting in new and free skilling content.

“While much focus has been on the potential for AI to drive efficiency and unleash human creativity, AI also represents a sea change for how people can learn. We know the demand for skills training — whether in the cybersecurity field or baseline digital skills – is massive and continues to grow. 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,” Kate said in her LinkedIn article.

“As part of our Skills for Jobs program, we’re partnering with LinkedIn Learning to launch the first Professional Certificate on Generative AI in the online learning market. Through this new coursework, workers will learn introductory concepts of AI, including a look at responsible AI frameworks, and receive a Career Essentials certificate when they pass the assessment,” she added, “this Professional Certificate on Generative AI is currently available in English and will launch in Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese over the coming months on LinkedIn Learning. As with the six other Career Essentials Professional Certificates offered with our Skills for Jobs program, this coursework will be unlocked and available for free through 2025.”