Living with AI
image credit: Catherine Breslin & Tania Duarte / Better Images of AI
Living with AI launched in September 2023 as a free to access open online course which sets out to meet Strategy Action 2.6 to encourage the public to develop their understanding of AI using open online resources. To date, Living with AI is the only public AI literacy programme of its type in the United Kingdom where engagement is cultivated directly with the public and critical evaluation of artificial intelligence is encouraged supported by free and open resources that are readily accessible and available to the public
The Course
Having previously acknowledged that there was a lack of free, credible, open online resources that examined artificial intelligence from a non-technical perspective, Living with AI was developed with We & AI, and with the support of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Alan Turing Institute to fill this need and provide the people of Scotland with a fun and informative resource for getting engaged with AI.
Living with A is free and open to everyone with access to an internet-enabled device. The course covers the following areas over five modules:
What is AI?
How can AI be Trustworthy, Ethical and Inclusive?
AI in Our Society
Working with AI
AI and Our Future
The aim of the Living with AI course is to provide the people of Scotland with a meaningful introduction to artificial intelligence, its uses in our society, and the challenges, issues and opportunities this presents.
The objective is to encourage learners to think critically about artificial intelligence, and to empower them to participate in future conversations and decision-making processes around artificial intelligence, whether that be in their own homes, schools, the workplace, or in wider policy making contexts.
Launch and feedback so far
Living with AI was launched on 12 September 2023 as a free, engaging and relevant online learning resource for the people of Scotland, so that they may gain a better understanding of AI – what it is, how it is used and the ways in which it has and will continue to impact our society. The originally suggested launch date of June 2023 was rescheduled for several reasons:
On reflection an autumn launch was likely to gain more learners due to coinciding with the end of the summer holiday period and Parliamentary recess, and the commencement of a new academic year;
We wanted to fully respond to tester feedback and resolve any issues and challenges highlighted by users in the testing phase before launching to the general public;
We took the extra time to refine the course videos in order to provide a better learning experience for Living with AI users.
Since its launch, over 1,000 learners have started Living with AI, and the course currently enjoys a completion rate of around 15%, which exceeds the industry averages for free online courses of between 3% and 12%*. Feedback from the initial cohorts of Living with AI has been positive:
“So informative – it pulls back the curtain (Wizard of Oz style) in relation to AI. Great sense of balance as the course makes you aware and reflect on ‘the good’ and ‘the bad’, and everything in between. I’ve been talking about the content of this course to my partner and also flagged it at my work, encouraging people to enrol and complete.”
“I think this course is a must for anyone interested in AI. It explains each topic clearly and concisely. I also like the mix of reading and videos.”
“Love the emphasis on society and people. I feel empowered after taking the course… Thanks for focusing in on disabilities. This was meaningful to me.”
“Great course and good to hear from a variety of view points and very though provoking.”
“100% recommend for anyone interested in this field.”
To date, Living with AI has reached a diverse group of learners across gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disabled status. However, more work needs to be done to attract learners from across educational attainment levels, and to improve the age range of learners.
* Average MOOC completions rates vary according to country, subject, assessment type, and research evaluation methodology, but a 2019 study puts MOOC completion rates at between 3 and 6% (Reich & Ruiperez-Valiente, 2019), down from a median value of 12.6% found in a 2015 study (Jordan, 2015). More recent studies still reference the Jordan, 2015 paper.
Plans for Living with AI until March 2026
With this in mind, we are committed to developing Living with AI in the following ways until March 2026:
