Elements of AI
Topic/ Area
Basics of AI for everyone
Date released
October 2016
Type of Best Practice
Online (free) courses to adult people from different backgrounds
Partners/ network
- University of Helsinki the oldest and largest institution of academic education in Finland
- Reaktor Education an online education company world famous for breaking the established barriers around education
- National Technical University of Athens
- Ministry of Digital Governance of Greece
- General Secretariat for Digital Governance & Simplification of Procedures of Greece
- Greek Artificial Intelligence and Learning Laboratory
- Greek National Alliance for Digital Skills & Employment
- Greek Citizens’ Digital Academy
Description of the methods/ approach
The Elements of AI is a series of free online courses which combine theory with practical exercises and can be completed at any pace and with no complicated math or programming required.
Purpose/Aim
Elements of AI’s goal is to demystify AI. The project aims to encourage as broad a group of people as possible to learn what AI is, what can (and can’t) be done with AI, and how to start creating AI methods.
Evaluation (results) of its effectiveness
N/A not enough date available
Overview of the lessons learned which are relevant to the project
Teaching the basics of AI elements in EU level has been a priority since 2016 and there are free available courses targeting adults. There is a link between AI, real world scenarios and focusing on problem-solving skills to introduce machine learning and neural networks and basic concepts while introducing learners to possible future implications and the aspect of ethics in relation to AI. In comparison to other practices there is a focus on AI ethics.
Additional notes
Over 700,000 students have signed up for the Elements of AI course. The course has spread worldwide, with graduating students from over 170 countries. About 40 % of course participants are women, more than double the average for computer science courses.
