Finland launches free AI skills course for EU citizens as presidency parting gift
Summary
The course is customised to provide students with a critical understanding of AI, said Teemu Roos, an associate professor in computer science at the University of Helsinki and the EAI course’s lead instructor. The Finnish government flagged its intention to launch the EAI course at a designated meeting in Brussels on 10 December that was timed to mark the end of the country’s six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. There is a growing need to develop people’s knowledge and skills to better prepare them for the jobs of the future in a more digitised society.” The online course is a collaboration between the MEAE, Helsinki-based digital AI solutions consulting firm Reaktor and the University of Helsinki. Ville Valtonen, managing director at Reaktor Education, said a deepening competence in digital and AI technologies offers enormous potential for the development of European society and national economies. “We also hope to see the same development in gender patterns and enrolment in other EU countries.” The high level of international interest in the EAI course gave the Finnish government a golden opportunity to enhance the country’s reputation as a hub for digital-based education, said Timo Harakka, Finland’s minister of employment.