Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) made several new artificial intelligence-related commitments at an event at the White House on Thursday, as the U.S. looks to implement more AI in education.
“As we think about this national priority, we think it comes down to three things,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post. “First, empowering teachers and students with the latest AI tools. Second, building AI skills. With AI moving faster than any technology in history, the only way to keep up is learning by doing and getting recognized for it. Third, creating economic opportunity by connecting these new skills to jobs. Every American should be able to showcase their AI skills and credentials to find new jobs and grow their career.”
As part of the initiative, Microsoft said it will offer free usage of its Copilot in Microsoft 365 to college students for 12 months. It will also make Microsoft 365 Personal available to students for free, from today through October 31.
It will also offer $1.25M in educator grants via its Microsoft Elevate program through the Presidential AI challenge.
Other announcements include free access to LinkedIn Learning AI courses (for students and teachers); and AI training for jobseekers and certifications for community colleges. The free five-day course on AI education starts on Sept. 29, Microsoft explained.