“Skills for the age of AI can’t be reduced to short technical courses alone,” said Roa Powell, senior research fellow at the IPPR.
“Workers also need support to build judgement, critical thinking, physical skills, leadership and the confidence to use these tools safely.”
Tech giants including Amazon, Google and Microsoft have helped design the AI skills training courses, with 14 courses giving those who complete them a virtual badge.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the move was designed to help people feel confident using the tech in the workplace.
“We want AI to work for Britain, and that means ensuring Britons can work with AI,” she said.
“Change is inevitable, but the consequences of change are not. We will protect people from the risks of AI while ensuring everyone can share in its benefits.”
Some courses are free – but others are paywalled – and lessons, which are accessible to any adult in the UK, vary in length with some lasting 20 minutes and others several hours.
The NHS, the British Chambers of Commerce and the Local Government Association are among those who have committed to encouraging their staff and members to sign up.
Sharron Gunn, head of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, welcomed the move – but said the onus should not only be on workers to adapt to AI.
“Alongside dedicated AI professionals, with degrees in computer science or digital apprenticeships, UK businesses of all sizes need their teams to have a benchmarked level of AI skills,” she said.
“We also need to see far greater understanding of technology at board level, so those involved in governance of organisations, who are often giving their time unpaid, have the knowledge and confidence to scrutinise executive decisions.”
