A READING partnership has delivered on its promise to enrol 1,000 students in Responsible AI use in 100 days.
The University of Reading and Reading-based think tank EARTH 51 launched the programme in February, setting the target as a response to growing concerns about graduate employability and the pace of AI change in the workplace.
100 days on, more than 1,000 students have completed or are in the final stages of completing the training, making it one of the largest Responsible AI literacy programmes delivered at a UK university to date.
The programme was open to all University of Reading students, from foundation level through to postgraduate researchers, as well as recent alumni, across every degree programme.
Sign-up was managed through the University’s careers platform, MyJobsOnline, and promoted via the student portal, careers newsletters and emails.
EARTH 51 provided over £300,000 worth of AI training, framed around the workplace rather than academic study.
Students who completed the programme received the Certificate of Excellence in Responsible AI, a CPD Group accredited activity, alongside a course completion certificate from EARTH 51.
The training covered Responsible AI, critical thinking, sustainability, governance and the changing expectations of employers, delivered through a mix of live sessions, digital certifications and asynchronous learning.
Dr Danielle Park, Business and Employability Manager for Green Careers at the University of Reading, said: “I am very proud of my collaboration with EARTH 51.
“This initiative demonstrates our ambition and drive to equip our students with the digital skills they need for their future workplace, to encourage students to think about AI as a tool, not as a silver bullet, and to provide them with a framework to inform their decisions about when and how to use AI responsibly and ethically.”
Akhil Handa, CEO of EARTH 51, said: “Graduate unemployment is becoming a defining challenge of the AI era.
“With youth unemployment rising and graduate opportunities tightening, we cannot afford to leave students unprepared for the future of work.
“This initiative was our attempt to make a real contribution to that challenge by equipping over 1,000 students with Responsible AI and future-ready skills in just 100 days.”
