Luxembourg Prime minister Xavier Bettel launches Luxembourg’s free & highly acclaimed Elements of AI course
This 18th of December, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel launched the Luxembourg equivalent of the highly acclaimed “Elements of AI” online course for students, civil servants, businesses and the global community – thanks to the Finnish government’s leadership in digital skills.
“Elements of AI” allows to understand and harness the potential of artificial intelligence. It is designed to encourage everyone, regardless of age or educational background to learn what AI is, what can (and can’t) be done with AI, and how to start creating AI methods. The course combines theory with practical exercises and can be completed at your own pace.
“AI’s potential is very broad, but it doesn’t have to be scary. Instead, the Luxembourg government wants each citizen to have access to excellent resources when it comes to this new technology. I’m convinced that knowledge on AI is power.”
“Elements of AI” is a free online course developed by the University of Helsinki and Finnish company Reaktor. The initiative for offering the Elements of AI course to all EU countries was launched in the context of Finland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2019. Utilizing and developing the digital economy and artificial intelligence as well as investing in citizens' knowledge and skills were the priorities of Finland's Presidency in regards to the Agenda for Sustainable Growth.
“Artificial intelligence is one of the key success factors in the future, enabling sustainable growth and competitiveness in the European Union. Investments in digitalisation are particularly needed when we build a way out of the coronavirus crisis. The EU should strive to become a pioneer in the field of digitalisation, and this course contributes to these efforts.”
The translations of the course materials are provided by the European Commission while Luxembourg’s tailor-made version is made available in German, French and English. The University of Luxembourg will provide specialist support for the weekly interactive webinars, the Q&A forums and exercises related to the course. Both the University of Luxembourg Competence Center, the continuing education entity of the University of Luxembourg and INAP, the national academy for civil servants, will accompany the course and issue the certificates in their official curricula, allowing students, civil servants or professionals from all sectors to get official recognition for their efforts. SCRIPT, the ministry for education’s innovation unit, also participates in the initiative and will inform the high school population about the opportunity.
