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Diving overview:
- The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday launched a free artificial intelligence literacy course aimed at helping U.S. workers learn the basics of AI, according to a news release. A text message-based program entitled “Make America AI-Ready” will be available in 20202 by texting “READY.”
- The course is designed to be accessible to those without laptops or with limited internet access, offering short lessons and daily challenges via text message. According to the release, users should be able to complete the course in seven days “by committing to just 10 minutes a day.”
- The program is part of President Donald Trump’s larger AI Action Plan, which calls for the “rapid retraining” of workers displaced by AI and for the DOL and other government departments to accelerate the “integration of AI skill development” into programs such as career and technical education, workforce training, and apprenticeships.
Dive Insight:
“The ‘Make America AI-Ready’ initiative aims to ensure that all American workers have the opportunity to learn the foundational skills so they can benefit from the opportunities presented by the AI economy,” U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez Delemer said in a release.
The new text message-based initiative was developed through a public-private partnership between the DOL and education software company Arist, according to a release.
The daily content for this course is designed around the DOL’s recently released AI Literacy Framework and focuses on five “AI Literacy Content Areas.” According to the release, these content areas include understanding AI principles, considering how to use AI, effectively directing AI, evaluating AI output, and using AI responsibly.
The DOL created this course as a starting point for U.S. workers who want to gain a deeper understanding of AI, the department said. Once completed, the program will provide resources designed to help participants learn more advanced AI skills or pursue AI-related careers, according to the release.
“This effort will help demystify AI for American workers,” Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling said in a release. “We are seeing AI create new jobs, new levels of productivity, and new forms of entrepreneurship, and we want to ensure all Americans have the skills to share in that prosperity.”
