Canada launches free AI literacy courses for citizens

The Canadian government has launched the National AI Literacy Initiative, a series of free, self-paced courses designed to improve artificial intelligence knowledge and responsible usage across the country. Supported by $13 million in funding and developed in partnership with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, the initiative offers three distinct learning paths.

The first two courses, aimed at K-12 educators and post-secondary students, are scheduled to become available on September 21. The educator course will provide practical classroom resources, while the student course focuses on foundational knowledge and workplace readiness. The student module is expected to take approximately three hours to complete.

A third course, titled ‘Essentials for Canadians’, is intended for the general public. This course will be accessible through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Training Finder platform and Job Bank, with additional community partnerships expected. The government aims to empower citizens to use AI effectively while maintaining the critical judgment necessary to question AI-generated information.