All UK adults to get access to free AI training under new scheme

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology announced that the modules will take less than 20 minutes to complete

Every adult across the UK will soon have access to free artificial intelligence training, with courses designed to equip individuals with essential AI tools for the workplace.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announced that these short modules, taking less than 20 minutes to complete, aim to enhance productivity and foster higher-skilled employment by freeing workers from routine tasks.

The initiative, which has garnered support from a panel of experts spanning business and trade unions, seeks to position Britain as the fastest AI-adopting nation within the G7.

Upon completion, participants will be awarded a "virtual AI foundations badge," signifying their new skills.

While AI proficiency is increasingly vital across nearly all sectors, concerns persist regarding the potential for misuse. Recent incidents highlight these challenges, including an error produced by Microsoft Copilot that reportedly influenced police justification for banning fans from a match against Aston Villa last November.

West Midlands Police’s use of Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot has also been suspended after details of a non-existent game between West Ham and the Israeli club were mentioned in a report to the SAG and found to have been an “AI hallucination”.

‘We want AI to work for Britain, and that means ensuring Britons can work with AI’, says Technology Secretary Liz Kendall (PA Archive)

Furthermore, the Government has criticised Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot for its capacity to generate non-consensual sexual deepfake images.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told MPs and peers: “The actions of Grok and X are absolutely disgusting and shameful. Protecting their abusive users, rather than the women and children who are being abused, shows a total distortion of priorities.

“So let me be crystal clear, we won't stand for it, because no matter how unstable or complex the world becomes, this government will be guided by its values. We'll stand up for the vulnerable against the powerful.”

In a direct message to the platform’s owner, Mr Musk, he added: “If X cannot control Grok, we will – and we'll do it fast because if you profit from harm and abuse, you lose the right to self-regulate.”

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasised the government's dual approach: "We want AI to work for Britain, and that means ensuring Britons can work with AI. Change is inevitable, but the consequences of change are not. We will protect people from the risks of AI while ensuring everyone can share in its benefits. That starts with giving people the skills and confidence they need to seize the opportunities AI brings, putting the power and control into their hands."