Microsoft's New AI Skills Initiative Aims to Make AI More Accessible and Inclusive

A new AI Skills Initiative launched by Microsoft is intended to assist communities in learning how to utilize AI. The project, which is a component of Microsoft’s Skills for Jobs program, includes new, free coursework created with LinkedIn and a new grant competition with data.org for organizations to build innovative methods of educating, reeducating, and upskilling workers in generative AI.

According to Microsoft’s most recent Work Trend Index, just when the velocity of information work is overtaking human capacity to keep up, AI is uniquely placed to establish a completely new style of working. 76% of Indian workers indicated they struggle to find enough time and energy to complete their task, according to the Index’s findings for India.

In addition to analytical and creative thinking, Gunjan Patel, Director and Head of Philanthropies at Microsoft India, stated that “AI capabilities constitute the third greatest priority for firms’ training initiatives. AI has a great deal of potential to empower people, but we must make sure that everyone is equipped with the necessary skills. A fresh start that will build on an upcoming wave of technological innovation is the new AI Skills Initiative.

Lessening workforce

While 74% of people express concern that AI may take their jobs, even more – 83% — said they would assign as much work to AI as they could to lighten their workloads. In order to do this, Microsoft’s AI Skills Initiative will try to relieve workers’ digital debt—the deluge of data, information, and always-on communications—and to free their creativity.

An open funding initiative is being launched by Microsoft, data.org, Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, and GitHub to investigate, create, and implement ways that non-profit, social entrepreneurship, and research or academic institutions may educate and empower the workforce to use generative AI.

This international award will assist organizations that promote skill development and economic growth, particularly those that concentrate on just and community-led applications of generative AI with historically marginalized groups worldwide. The recipients will also have access to a cohort experience, Microsoft events, Azure-based cloud computing capabilities, data training, and technical help from Microsoft and GitHub specialists in addition to financial assistance.