🕓 LEARNING TIME

3h 35m - 4h

🗓️ SELF-PACED

Take the course at your own pace with bite-sized lessons available at any time

👤 WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

Any public servant or policymaker who's new to AI and wants an introduction to the topic, plus guidance on the AI tools that could help them at work and where to begin.

Course overview

Intro

We know that public servants want to embrace tools that make their difficult jobs easier and allow them to serve citizens better. But where AI is concerned, it’s difficult to know where to begin. It can feel like the technology is speeding ahead, and news headlines are dominated by everything that can go wrong and the outcomes that worry us.

In this free introductory course, you’ll discover that you don’t need to be a tech expert to understand how AI impacts you and your work. You’ll learn that AI is not as scary or even as ‘intelligent’ as you first thought, and – as you start exploring potential solutions to old problems – you’ll build the confidence to share what you have learned with your colleagues along the way.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Define what AI is, what it can and can’t do and why this matters

  • Recognise the main benefits and risks of AI in a public sector context

  • Identify ways to harness AI for the good of public servants and the public

  • Discuss how public servants can use AI tools responsibly

Founding funders

This course is part of the Government AI Campus, a bold new programme to upskill and prepare 10,000 policymakers to lead in the age of AI. The Campus is supported by founding funders Google.org and The Rockefeller Foundation. All our course content is independently researched and designed by Apolitical, with and for governments.

Google.org and the Rockefeller Foundation

Course outline

Learn about common assumptions and misconceptions about AI, and find out how it’s already being used at home and work.

1.0 | Introduction: Understand How AI Impacts You and Your Government

1.1 | A history of AI in 5 questions

1.2 | Get to know AI and how it works

1.3 | AI in the public sector

1.4 | Reflect on you’ve learned about AI so far

Find out how to identify risks in order to safely use AI in the public sector.

2.0 | Section 2: Identifying risks, preventing harm

2.1 | Bad outcomes

2.2 | Good opportunities

2.3 | The good, the bad and the trade-off

2.4 | Consider the best possible use of AI in your world

Explore the potential of AI tools in the public service.

3.0 | Section 3: How can AI help in your role?

3.1 | The public servant as AI ‘consumer’

3.2 | The machine versus you

3.3 | Make your job easier

3.4 | Serve the public better

3.5 | Consider the tasks AI could help you with

Get ready to reflect on what you’ve learned and have a productive conversation about AI with your colleagues.



4.0 | Section 4: Developing an AI mindset

4.1 | Driving innovation at a responsible pace

4.2 | Develop a shared understanding

4.3 | Consider what questions you’ll add to your checklist

4.4 | Conclusion