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Tech Giant Microsoft to Allocate Over $4 Billion Towards Artificial Intelligence Education Initiatives

Microsoft Introduces Microsoft Elevate and AI Economy Institute for Empowering People with AI Skills and Tools, Prioritizing Individuals as AI Becomes More Individualized for Students, Educators, and Business Owners.

Microsoft to Allocate Over $4 Billion Towards Artificial Intelligence Learning Initiatives
Microsoft to Allocate Over $4 Billion Towards Artificial Intelligence Learning Initiatives

Tech Giant Microsoft to Allocate Over $4 Billion Towards Artificial Intelligence Education Initiatives

In a significant move towards shaping the future of work and education, Microsoft has announced the launch of Microsoft Elevate and the AI Economy Institute. These initiatives aim to equip people with AI skills and tools, and to ensure that AI serves everyone.

Microsoft Elevate, an extension of the company's 50-year experience in making technology accessible and equipping people with skills, consolidates and expands the company's technology support, donations, and sales for schools, community colleges, and nonprofits. The initiative will involve collaboration with organisations like Code.org and the American Federation of Teachers to build AI-skilling infrastructure.

The Microsoft AI Economy Institute, housed within the AI for Good Lab, has been established as a corporate think tank to bridge the gap between technological innovation and societal impact. The Institute's academic research, already underway with global universities, will directly inform Microsoft Elevate's skilling programs and policy frameworks.

The Microsoft AI Economy Institute aims to inform Microsoft's strategy and public policy engagement, and will sponsor and convene researchers to explore AI's effects on work, education, and productivity. The Institute will also translate research insights into real-world solutions, ensuring that technology empowers creativity and knowledge without deepening divides, as seen with past technologies like electricity and social media.

At the heart of these initiatives is a commitment to ask critical questions about AI's societal impact and to build AI to elevate humanity, not replace it. Microsoft believes AI should be used to enhance human judgment, empathy, and care, rather than diminish them.

The Microsoft Elevate Academy will offer training ranging from foundational AI fluency to advanced technical training. The goal is to help 20 million people earn an in-demand AI-skilling credential within the next two years.

Microsoft is also committing to donate over $4 billion in cash and AI/cloud technology to educational institutions and nonprofits globally over the next five years. This initiative will involve collaboration with LinkedIn, GitHub, and advocacy for public policies that advance AI education globally.

The Microsoft Elevate initiative is part of a broader commitment to help people shape the future of work. By supporting the Future Skills Organisation (FSO) as a partner, Microsoft aims to build AI-based education capacity, involving government agencies, industry groups, training providers, and community partners in an initiative to upskill educators and learners in Australia and New Zealand with practical AI skills by 2026.

In conclusion, Microsoft's Microsoft Elevate and AI Economy Institute are ambitious initiatives aimed at equipping people with the skills they need to thrive in an AI-driven world. By fostering collaboration, research, and education, Microsoft hopes to ensure that AI serves everyone and enhances human potential, rather than replacing it.

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