Google this year announced a $13 million AI Opportunity Fund to equip Canadians with artificial intelligence skills.
“AI is transforming the way we work and can empower people across almost every field,” Sabrina Geremia, Vice President and Country Managing Director for Google Canada, commented in June. “The AI Opportunity Fund will help upskill Canadians nationwide, strengthen our workforce, and prepare Canadians for an AI-powered economy.”
The funding supported four Canadian organizations, including Alberta’s Machine Intelligence Institute, or Amii.
Amii earmarked Google’s funding to spearhead the national AI Workforce Readiness Consortium, which provides AI-oriented education to post-secondary students across the nation.
“In a world where AI’s impact is everywhere, our goal is to ensure AI literacy is everywhere,” says chief executive officer Cam Linke.
This month, the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute is launching an “AI Literacy for Everyone” Platform.
The newly developed learning platform is designed to help learners at all levels bridge the AI skills gap and stay competitive in an evolving digital world, according to a statement from the organization.
“The launch of the AI Literacy for Everyone platform marks a critical next step in our commitment to offer expert-developed training and equitable access to foundational AI skills for all,” commented Linke.
Designed by Amii’s multidisciplinary team of machine learning and training experts, the platform’s core includes 12 hours of structured content that introduces foundational concepts in machine learning and real-world applications.
“We need students, employees, citizens, and parents to have this broad understanding because AI literacy is a core literacy for the future, enabling everyone to be part of an optimistic, resilient, and truly prosperous future with as many informed voices as possible,” stated Linke.
Nationwide, Amii has already trained more than 250,000 learners through courses, workshops, and certificates.
Moving forward, Amii’s AI Literacy for Everyone platform “will empower learners with essential AI knowledge needed to thrive through a comprehensive, flexible platform designed for skill retention,” says Adam Danyleyko, Product Owner of Amii’s Training Team.
For individuals, AI skills “are the new professional advantage in a rapidly changing job market,” according to Danyleyko. For organizations, “training the whole team accelerates innovation and creates a powerful competitive edge by turning employees into agile, AI-confident teams.”
“As recognized leaders in AI literacy, we see firsthand that understanding AI is no longer optional,” he said. “It’s a prerequisite for success.”
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