Coursera launches Generative AI Academy to help UK business leaders navigate AI  

Stanford University, Microsoft and DeepLearning.AI provide AI courses to increase corporate AI education in 2024

Today, Coursera announces the launch of Generative AI (GenAI) Academy for UK businesses, designed to equip UK executives and their employees with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven workplace. With McKinsey estimating that generative AI could add the equivalent of $4.4 trillion in annual economic benefits, the course portfolio aims to empower businesses and individuals to unleash the next global wave of innovation and productivity. 

GenAI Academy offers a blend of foundational literacy and executive education programs from top research universities and companies at the forefront of AI, including Microsoft, Stanford Online, Vanderbilt University, DeepLearning.AI, Google Cloud, and AWS.

Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera, said:

“As the fastest-growing technology in human history, Generative AI has the potential to transform every aspect of our lives. However, organizations must balance its enormous potential against considerable risks. Companies face a “GenAI conundrum”: they risk ethical, data, and regulatory pitfalls if they move too quickly, but may lose their competitive edge if they’re too cautious. The key to navigating this conundrum lies in high-quality education and training, enabling companies to adopt GenAI both quickly and safely.”

GenAI Academy for Executives helps leaders enhance their ethical and strategic decision-making

For executives, GenAI strategy formulation and technology adoption are high-stakes decisions. The choices they make about GenAI will not only determine an organization’s competitive edge but also influence societal impacts and shape the future of various industries. GenAI for Executives is designed to help leaders develop a deep understanding of AI’s broad applications and its market influence. It aims to guide them in making strategic and ethical choices and lead and motivate their teams through rapid change. 

The course selection includes: 

• Navigating Generative AI: A CEO Playbook from Coursera
• AI Awakening from Stanford Online
• Voice of Change – Communicating with Teams for GenAI Adoption from Microsoft*
• Generative AI for Leaders from Vanderbilt University
• New Ways of Working in the AI World from London Business School 
• Generative AI, Ethical Considerations and Implications Generative AI: Impact, Considerations, and Ethical Issues from IBM
• Building a Generative AI-Ready Organization from  AWS
• Generative AI Essentials: Overview and Impact from University of Michigan

New courses and credentials will be added over the coming months, with a focus on further expanding executive education and role-based learning programs.  

As part of Coursera’s early access program rollout, companies including Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a $23 billion multinational engaged in EPC projects, high-tech manufacturing and services have utilized training from leading AI authorities on Coursera to build generative AI knowledge and skills across their workforces. 

“We believe AI is key for growth, creativity, and innovation. As a tech-driven organization, L&T is committed to harnessing the power of AI to drive engineering and service excellence. The GenAI Academy’s launch reaffirms our commitment to promoting AI literacy and empowering everyone to enhance efficiency and foster innovation,” stated Dr. C Jayakumar, EVP & Head of Corporate HR at Larsen & Toubro.

GenAI Academy for Everyone

While Generative AI Academy for Executives is designed to support those in leadership roles as they guide their organization through intensifying rates of digital transformation, GenAI Academy for Everyone serves to build foundational literacy in the technology across every job role. 

This foundational literacy program offers employees a general understanding of GenAI’s core principles, applications, and impact. Employees will learn how to use AI tools to enhance their productivity and innovation in their day-to-day jobs, with Guided Projects providing hands-on practice. Selection includes: 

• Generative AI for Everyone from DeepLearning.AI
• Artificial Intelligence on Microsoft Azure from Microsoft
• Introduction to Generative AI from Google Cloud
• Trustworthy Generative AI from Vanderbilt University
• Machine Learning Specialization from Stanford Online and Deeplearning.AI

To learn more about Coursera’s Generative AI Academy, visit the website. For more information about Coursera for Business, visit coursera.org/business.