To democratise access to artificial intelligence (AI) education and skills, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has teamed up with more than 25 organisations from across the globe as part of the AI Skills Coalition.
Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, the East Africa Community, Cognizant and Black Women in AI are among the organisations announced at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos that will serve as founding contributors to the initiative.
The AI Skills Coalition is an ITU initiative that aims to bridge the global AI skills gap and ensure equal worldwide access to AI training. It is the ITU’s latest global initiative to consolidate AI education resources with a focus on underserved and marginalised groups.
According to a statement, the coalition will serve as an online platform for AI education and capacity building.
The platform will encourage inclusive participation in the AI revolution by offering open and accessible skills training on generative AI, machine learning and applying AI for sustainable development.
“Let's make sure everyone has a chance to learn the skills they need to benefit from the AI revolution,” says ITU secretary-general Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
“Our new AI Skills Coalition is aiming to train thousands of people this year, especially those living in regions of the world just getting started on their AI journey, as part of our commitment to ensure all communities can fully participate in our shared digital future.”
An estimated 94% of global business leaders highlighted AI as critical for the success of their organisations, based on research in the recent “AI for Good Impact Report” published by the ITU and Deloitte.
However, insufficient technical skills, the need for extensive upskilling and reskilling, as well as the need to build trust in new technologies are among key barriers to broader AI adoption globally.
“Generative AI is rapidly transforming the workforce, with LinkedIn data showing a 142 times global increase in professionals adding AI aptitude skills in just one year,” says Kate Behncken, global head of Microsoft Philanthropies.
“Recognising this growing demand, we are proud to work with the ITU AI Skills Coalition to provide access to AI skills training, certifications and capacity-building for policymakers, IT professionals and organisational leaders.”
As part of the initiative, the ITU will also work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to leverage UNDP's presence in over 170 countries and territories.
“Capacity development is critical for addressing the AI equity gap, particularly in developing countries,” comments Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator. “Aligned with the vision of this coalition, we will work with our partners to deliver AI training that equips policymakers and other stakeholders with foundational knowledge to strengthen the responsible adoption and use of AI for sustainable development that benefits everyone.”
According to the statement, the founding organisations will contribute training materials, financial resources and outreach support to build a new training platform developed by the ITU, to be launched in March.
The platform will include a comprehensive training portfolio and a customisable digital library of AI material. The site will also feature self-paced courses, webinars, access to in-person workshops and hybrid programmes tailored to diverse learning needs.
The online resources – to be contributed by private sector partners, academia and United Nations agencies – will be available free of charge. Advanced certifications will be available at a cost.
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