Responsible AI Innovation for SMEs

Everywhere we go, people are talking about AI, but the stories they tell are increasingly contradictory. UK businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), need a way to cut though this noise and the increasingly mixed messages about what AI can offer. They need confidence to decide whether their business can benefit from adopting AI tools, and which types of AI might be a good fit for their needs. For the businesses that do choose to deploy AI, they need to learn how to implement these technologies responsibly, without harming the customers, clients, communities and employees they depend on.

This course helps businesses answer the question: ‘Should I be using AI in my business, and if so, how can I do it in a responsible and trustworthy way?’ Designed by academic experts at the University of Edinburgh, Responsible AI for SMEs integrates insights and real-world experiences from UK SME business owners and responsible-AI leaders across industry and civil society. 

Coursera allows you to preview the first module for free - you can choose this option when you enrol or pay for the full course. edX allows you to access the course for free - if you want to gain a certificate you can choose to pay for the course.

Learners can also apply for Financial Aid directly with Coursera to assist with the cost of accessing the full course and gaining a certificate for completing the course 

Course image: Alan Warburton / https://betterimagesofai.org / © BBC / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The course covers a range of topics over five self-paced five-modules, including:

• An introduction to Responsible AI benefits and principles for trustworthy use 
• An overview of the business risks, advantages and limitations of different AI tools 
• Unique perspectives and lessons from UK SME leaders in Responsible AI 
• A roadmap to implementing Responsible AI by design, with FAQ and links to helpful resources 
• Reflective activities and dialogues on Responsible AI with other SME learners  

This course is for anyone in a SME, Micro or Start-up looking to use AI Systems, methods and approaches for the first time in their business.

It can also support business - who are already using AI - to reflect critically on their current approach to AI adoption. Even businesses without any current plans to deploy AI can benefit greatly from learning more about it. Research shows that many employees are already using AI at work without their employers’ knowledge or permission, often without any oversight or responsible guidance.

The course is also ideal for anyone keen to better understand challenges with AI governance.

Introductory: no previous knowledge required