Free AI courses are offered by major tech companies and renowned universities

Many people would say that an education at MIT or Harvard is priceless—but beyond the opportunity to get into these prestigious universities, there’s the cost. For those looking to hone their artificial intelligence (AI) skills without having to formally attend these schools, there’s good news.

MIT Open Learning now offers online courses and resources that include much of what is presented in class, but are designed for those interested in the emerging world of AI. Developed to “empower learners” as well as professionals from a variety of industries, MIT now offers more than a dozen free courses and resources that start with basic information for those with no knowledge of the subject. The courses serve to help users understand the importance of media literacy in addressing the threat of disinformation in the age of deepfakes, and even the ethics of AI in a technology overview.

MIT also offers paid courses for working professionals to expand their knowledge base in AI. The university isn’t alone in offering these types of courses. Harvard also offers a free seven-week course that covers a wide range of topics, from AI algorithms to handwriting recognition. Designed for those without the most flexible schedules, Harvard’s course—taught by professor David J. Malan—requires students to commit between 10 and 30 hours per week.

The University of California, Davis, and the University of Pennsylvania also offer free courses on big data, artificial intelligence and ethics, and AI for business. The first course, available to everyone, lasts about 12 hours, while the second is divided into four courses that teach AI fundamentals to non-data scientists, as well as AI strategy and governance.

In addition to what colleges offer for free, tech giants Amazon, Google, IBM, and Intel also offer a slew of courses. Amazon offers over 100 free or low-cost courses on AI, while Google now offers a beginner’s course on AI.

Why is it free?

Given the rising tuition and student debt that comes with a four-year degree, it’s worth noting that these schools offer “free” programs, especially those geared toward professionals. However, for these schools and others, these courses are meant to put their respective programs on the map.

“It’s a matter of relevance and marketing. Every college, university, and technical school will need to offer AI training and skills to keep up with today’s market. Free online AI courses are a way to communicate that your school understands the importance of AI and offers additional AI training,” Roger Grimes, data-driven defense evangelist at cybersecurity awareness training provider KnowBe4, told ClearanceJobs.

“The trend of universities offering online courses is well established, and many have been offering free courses on a wide range of subjects for some time now,” added Thomas Atkinson, principal security consultant at cybersecurity provider NCC Group. “All of which is to say that this is an established trend, not a new one.”

Preparing the world for the age of AI

These programs are also designed to help prepare the world for the age of AI. For big tech companies, it will be about ensuring they remain industry leaders.

“The growing demand for professionals with AI skills, particularly in roles such as rapid engineering or generative AI expertise, is driven by the technology’s growing dominance across various industries. Economically, AI is expected to have a significant impact on the job market, making AI skills increasingly valuable for future jobs,” said James McQuiggan, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4.

“Competitively, businesses and nations see mastery of AI as essential to maintaining an advantage,” McQuiggan told ClearanceJobs.

Courses are always evolving, as is technology.

Since many programs are new, and technology is still evolving, courses can likely vary greatly depending on the school or tech company.

“Because of the expansive nature of AI and its specialized applications in various fields, different or unique approaches and methodologies will likely be taught. As in computer science or cybersecurity, the field is much larger than originally anticipated, and the same is true for AI,” McQuiggan added.

Roles such as rapid engineering, AI data analysts, AI deep learning experts, and generative AI modeling are also likely to evolve accordingly.

“As the field advances, emerging techniques and best practices are giving rise to an increasing number of courses and degrees that are tailored to the changing landscape,” McQuiggan continued.

Democratizing AI knowledge

These free courses will further democratize AI knowledge, making this education accessible to a wider audience and allowing people from all backgrounds to better understand this powerful technology. But just as schools are trying to brand themselves to train the next generation of experts, companies want to show that they are leaders in developing this technology.

It’s just about branding and marketing.

“Free courses can serve as a way for companies and schools to showcase their expertise and attract students or customers by demonstrating their commitment to sharing knowledge,” said McQuiggan, who noted that this could foster innovation that, in turn, could lead to more diverse applications and advances in the field, with a greater focus on its technical and ethical challenges.

“It also helps close the skills gap by addressing the growing demand for AI professionals in the job market to ensure a large and diverse workforce is available to help advance this promising field responsibly,” he noted. “Offering free AI training can help increase awareness among their users. With the rise of deepfakes, or synthetic media, it is critical that organizations educate their users on how to spot and report any suspicious text, emails, videos, or images in the hopes of spreading misinformation or socially manipulating users into an emotional response and exposing the organization to a data breach or other type of cyberattack.”

Future standards and certifications

There may not be any major certifications in AI or machine learning (ML)—at least not yet—but that may not be the point of these courses.

“The top desired qualification for AI/ML-based roles is a PhD in AI/ML,” Atkinson told ClearanceJobs. “As the technologies become more standardized and widespread, I’m sure we’ll see companies requesting certification in cloud AI/ML. Such certification currently exists, but it’s in its infancy in my opinion, and not yet widely required. Certification is still in its infancy.”