Democratizing AI: A Pan-European Initiative Trains 600 Social Entrepreneurs with AI Knowledge
The pan-European program by MinnaLearn and INCO trains up to 600 European social entrepreneurs across 14 countries in AI skills intending to democratize AI knowledge.
MinnaLearn, a Finnish learning company launches a novel program to train social entrepreneurs across Europe in AI skills. The AI Tides program equips social entrepreneurs with AI know-how to help them scale their businesses.
The program was created and run in collaboration with INCO and is supported by Google.org. MinnaLearn is known for its Elements of AI course, which has been the most successful AI course to date, with over 1.3 million participants worldwide.
Social entrepreneurship is critical in addressing major global issues, ranging from healthcare and education to environmental sustainability. Embracing new technologies, particularly AI, is crucial in building and scaling these businesses and maximizing their societal contributions.
According to the World Economic Forum, the main obstacles to using AI for social entrepreneurship are a lack of technical skills and a trust gap.
The use of AI in social entrepreneurship also holds substantial potential for economic impact. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, the social economy accounts for 7% of global GDP. Generative AI could add between $182 billion and $308 billion annually to the sector.
AI skills are crucial for social entrepreneurs aiming to scale their impactful businesses. Often, they lack access to the necessary tools and training.
says Ville Valtonen, co-founder and CEO of MinnaLearn.
Through AI Tides, we aim to democratize access to AI skills and help social entrepreneurs maximize their impact.
This initiative is the first of its scale to help social entrepreneurs gain access to AI knowledge.
AI Tides will train nearly 600 social entrepreneurs in 14 European countries. The program is based on MinnaLearn’s popular Elements of AI course, attracting over 1.3 million participants worldwide. The AI Tides course uses the Elements of AI curriculum, developed in collaboration with the University of Helsinki.
Organizations participating in AI Tides:
- Pulse, France
- Impact France, France
- Send, Germany
- Alleanza delle Cooperative Italiane, Italy
- Ashoka Spain, Spain
- Impact Hub Athens, Greece
- ActImpact, Slovenia
- Shipyard, Poland
- Social Enterprise Netherlands, Netherlands
- Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, Ireland
- AI Sweden, Sweden
- GUG.cz, z.s., Czech
- Social Economy Ukraine, Ukraine
- Euclid Network, Netherlands
The curriculum focuses on easy-to-understand information and practical examples of artificial intelligence. The program employs MinnaLearn’s unique train-the-trainer and peer learning models.
In the program, participating teams and entrepreneurs gain a fundamental understanding of AI through hands-on experience, applying AI tools to their work. Upon completion, they have validated business prototypes that utilize AI to address their specific challenges.
This approach ensures that participants not only gain fundamental skills and understanding of AI but also graduate with business prototypes that can be further developed to increase impact in their local communities.
tells Valtonen.
AI Tides is created and run in collaboration with INCO and it is supported by Google.org. INCO will strengthen community ties within the program by providing additional training and support to the participants, organizing engagement activities, and ensuring the impactful delivery of the Elements of AI course. This program is free for all participants.
This initiative marks a significant step towards integrating cutting-edge technology with social entrepreneurship, fostering socially responsible and technologically advanced innovation.
says Amalia Spyratou, INCO Academy Director.
By supporting social entrepreneurs’ energy, ideas, and dedication, we believe that AI can contribute positively to our shared humanity instead of diminishing it.
We are excited and honoured to have gotten support from leading international organizations. This highlights our pioneering efforts in the AI education space.
concludes Valtonen.