Finland has launched the online course Elements of AI in 22 EU countries in their respective languages. Latvia was the first country to launch this course in May 2020, while Spain and Slovenia were the last in April 2021.
During the EU Presidency in December 2019, Finland decided to invest in the future skills of Europeans and make the Elements of AI online course free to all member states.
The goal is to train 1% of EU citizens in the basics of artificial intelligence, thereby strengthening digital leadership within the EU. The course was designed and hosted by the University of Helsinki and Reaktor, a Finnish technology company.
“Digitalization is accelerating the transformation of work and demanding new competencies from employees. At the same time, we also offer solutions for learning new skills. This is a great example of how we can support learning. There is a need for this course in the future,” said the Employment Minister. Tula Haatainen Say.
More than 240,000 people enrolled in courses in the EU
Across the EU, 244,902 people are enrolled in this course, equivalent to 0.055% of the population. Of course enrollees, 15.9% completed the course. Approximately 55% of participants were male and the rest were female.
“About 2% of Finns have completed this course and we encourage all Europeans to explore this course. Our university's key philosophy is that science and learning belong to everyone. “This course is one way we can invest in the skills of our people, promote lifelong learning and meet society's need for information.” Sari LindblomPresident of the University of Helsinki.
Among the new countries, the highest proportion of the population enrolled in this course is Croatia (over 21,000 participants, 0.5% of the population) and Latvia (approximately 7,200 participants, 0.4% of the population). Meanwhile, the number of enrollees who complete the course is highest in Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy, at around 15-19%. Sweden and Estonia maintain their top spot in the statistics because their courses were already available before Finland took the lead. Worldwide he has over 660,000 people attending this course.
“Artificial Intelligence is not a robot revolution, it's an everyday thing you don't need to be confused about. This course provides a kind of science-based inoculation against all the hype and misleading click headlines about Artificial Intelligence. Our aim is to engage citizens on new AI applications so that we can develop artificial intelligence that meets people's real needs,” says the professor. Teem Ruthis the course instructor.
Local partners support courses in EU countries
We have local academic and other partners in each EU country who will keep the course's presence known even after its launch. Member countries' Finnish missions also participate in this activity.
This course is currently available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, France, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Denmark and the Czech Republic. The course was already available in Estonia, Sweden and Germany before Finland took the lead during the EU Presidency.
Read: Artificial Intelligence Needs People: 3 Reasons to Learn the Basics Now
You may also be interested in the “Building AI'' and “AI Ethics'' online courses.
