Course description

This training programme is designed to provide a high-level awareness of the growing prominence of artificial intelligence (AI) both as a technology that requires policy attention, as well as a technology that will affect policies in a wide range of areas. You will learn the basics of AI, why it has suddenly leapt to the top of the policy agenda, the disruptive nature of this technology for good and ill, and how it is affecting national and international policy developments.

You will gain familiarity with the issues that shape AI governance and the factors that both align and separate countries. This course will unpack the key issues raised by this powerful technology, explore ways in which society and economy can adapt to the age of pervasive AI, and navigate the considerable uncertainty as this technology quickly evolves and develops, placing a premium on agile and proactive policies. Participants are confronted with a moving target, public policy decisions, debates over complex geo-political challenges, as well as an in-depth discussion on the interplay between public and private governance.

Sessions will cover, among others, the importance of AI; how it challenges the essence of humanity and raises issues around human rights; the role of the private sector in AI development and governance; AI as leveler/catalyst for inequality; the ever-expanding range of applications in many policy fields; and the current technological frontier of AI: where it is heading and how its governance is evolving.

Information for applicants

• This training course will take place with 9 live online sessions (via Zoom) over five weeks, between 28 January and 25 February, from 15:00 to 17:00 CET, for a total of 18 contact teaching hours.
• Participants will be enrolled in our Virtual Learning Environment (Brightspace) to access the training materials.
• Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a certificate of attendance from the Florence School of Transnational Governance.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate AI's opportunities and challenges, including its impact on values, ethics, and human involvement.
• Assess the threats posed by AI, such as bias, misinformation, and economic disruption, and the potential benefits in fields like healthcare, education, and urban planning.
• Consider quantitative resources to inform decision-making in AI.
• Illustrate the characteristics and means of undertaking a multi-stakeholder approach to AI policy development and implementation.

Learning methods

Through the seminars and interactive discussions, participants will gain a deeper understanding and foundational knowledge of the emerging challenges and opportunities for governance of AI and the use of AI in governance.

This will be complemented by deep-dives into specific issues and peer-to-peer learning via group work in online break-out rooms. This will facilitate exploration of various complex issues (e.g. the pros and cons of hard vs soft law), role play learning (e.g. representing different countries and their positions at mock meetings), and applied projects using on-line AI resources (e.g. a key figure fact-sheet based on a specific area of work/interest).

Who should attend

• Public sector officials who are responsible for developing and implementing AI policies in national and subnational administrations, international organisations, public-sector consultancies, etc.;
• Public officials from European institutions, G7 Governments, etc.; officials from International Organisations involved in AI policy;
• Public officials in other fields (education, labour policy, trade, etc.) who want to better understand how AI will affect their field;
• Professionals in the non-governmental, consultancy or the private sector with a role related to AI policy.