Finland's Free Online Course in AI Will Be Available in 24 Languages

fizkes/iStock via Getty Images
fizkes/iStock via Getty Images / fizkes/iStock via Getty Images
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If you're resolving to learn something new in 2020, Finland may be able to help. As The Verge reports, the Nordic nation is making its famous online crash course on artificial intelligence free to the European Union (EU).

At the end of this month, Finland will pass off the rotating presidency of the EU to Croatia, and as a parting gift for the holidays, Finland is sharing its class with the continent. The class, called Elements of AI, is being translated into all 24 official languages of the EU, which includes Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, French, and Italian. In its current state, which caters to Finnish citizens, the program is available in English, Swedish, Estonian, Finnish, and German.

By making the class free for all its people, Finland aimed to educate the public on important information that was normally exclusive to tech circles. More than 220,000 students have enrolled in the course since its debut.

Though the gesture is intended for the EU, people from around the world can take the course for free if it's available in a language they speak. The curriculum is broken down into six chapters that examine everything from the basic definition of artificial intelligence to the technology's implications in the real world. The sections are designed to take between five and 10 hours to complete, with the entire program lasting an estimated six weeks.

Elements of AI, which originally launched in 2018, is offered online through the University of Helsinki. You can find more free online classes offered by top schools here.

[h/t The Verge]