Canada to Offer Free AI Basics Course to All Residents by Year-End

Summary

Canada’s federal government is launching the National AI Literacy Initiative to help residents understand what artificial intelligence is, what it can do and how it may affect their lives. The government is providing $13 million to create and expand three free online courses in partnership with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. The courses are self-paced, are designed to take about three hours, and are not instructor-led. The first two courses, for K-12 educators and post-secondary students, will be made available to educational institutions on Sept. 21. The educator course includes practical training, classroom-ready resources and five additional chapters scheduled for release during the fall. The student course focuses on foundational AI knowledge, responsible use and workplace readiness. A third course, Essentials for Canadians, will be released after the first two and before the end of the calendar year through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Training Finder on Job Bank and through community partners that have not yet been announced. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said the initiative is intended to support a people-first approach, giving Canadians the confidence to use AI when appropriate and the judgment to question it when it is not.