AI tools are everywhere, but they're only helpful if people know how to use them. That's the AI literacy problem — and the White House wants to fix it.
On Tuesday, the US Department of Labor announced the “Make America AI-Ready” initiative, which aims to teach American workers the basics of AI with a free course. The course takes place entirely via text message, with the intention of making it accessible to all Americans, regardless of laptop or internet access.
“The ‘Make America AI-Ready’ initiative is designed to ensure every American worker has the chance to learn foundational skills so they can benefit from the opportunities that the AI economy presents,” US Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in the press release.
The initiative was built through a public-private partnership between the Labor Department and Arist, an AI-powered learning platform. The course itself can be completed in seven days, with 10 minutes a day. Some course details include:
- Delivery: “Bite-sized” daily learning content and challenges
- Content: Aligned with the five foundational areas outlined in the AI Literacy Framework, released by the Labor Department in mid-February
- Access: All interested users have to do is text “READY” to 20202
- Privacy: The phone numbers will only be used for delivering the course and not sold or shared with third parties or used for promotional purposes, according to the release.
As the course was designed to be introductory, participants who finish it will be offered additional resources to learn advanced AI skills aligned with their unique goals or interests. By the end of the seven days, the curriculum will have covered AI principles, use cases, best practices, and more.
Ultimately, the program seeks to make AI literacy more accessible in response to a growing skills gap. Though AI-powered coding has completely shifted the roles of technical workers, AI executives and enterprises alike are eyeing a broader shift, some claiming that these tools may just be the beginning of a metamorphosis of all knowledge work.
With sweeping change in the way, those who can use AI effectively stand to gain significant advantages in productivity and learning, while those without access to or understanding of it risk being left behind.
Our Deeper View
AI literacy is a critical skill beyond being able to leverage it in the workplace. A broader concern is that, without the ability to critically evaluate AI-generated content, misinformation becomes a serious threat. As a result, AI literacy should be a priority, and this initiative is a promising step toward making it accessible. That said, challenges remain with this approach, namely, whether there is sufficient public demand for enrollment, and whether the course content is comprehensive enough to serve learners across varying skill levels. It’s why many AI firms are pushing for AI literacy courses in K-12 school curricula, seeking to address both issues.