{"id":8290,"date":"2019-02-12T16:32:25","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T21:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=8290"},"modified":"2019-02-12T17:09:00","modified_gmt":"2019-02-12T22:09:00","slug":"why-finland-is-training-its-entire-population-in-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/why-finland-is-training-its-entire-population-in-ai","title":{"rendered":"Why Finland is Training its Entire Population in AI"},"content":{"rendered":"

It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie: A country training as many citizens as possible on the ins-and-outs of artificial intelligence (AI).<\/span><\/p>\n

But in Finland, the future is already here. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Nordic nation\u2019s <\/span>AI strategy<\/span><\/a> focuses on helping citizens without a tech background become comfortable with machine-based learning and intelligence \u2014 and there\u2019s increasing hope that training residents in AI will not only be beneficial to a variety of industries but to society as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in 2017, the country became Europe\u2019s first to launch this kind of national AI strategy, <\/span>PRI reports<\/span><\/a>, and the final analysis of the strategy\u2019s success will be released in April 2019. The goal? Getting one percent of Finland\u2019s population \u2014 or more than 50,000 people \u2014 up to speed on AI, with bigger growth down the line. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOriginally started as a free-access university course, Finland’s \u20181 percent\u2019 AI scheme is now being rolled out nationally with the support of private companies and the government,\u201d <\/span>Politico writes<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

So why is Finland spending so much energy getting its population well-versed in AI? Well, there are a few key reasons \u2014 and other countries may want to take note.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boosting Business<\/b><\/h2>\n

Enhancing Finland\u2019s business competitiveness and making sure the country attracts top-level expertise are some of the key reasons behind the push, according to a <\/span>2017 report<\/span><\/a> from a steering group led by Finland\u2019s economic affairs minister.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the goal isn\u2019t about deeper education for the tech community \u2014 it\u2019s a focus on the broader workforce, given expectations about AI\u2019s widespread impact on various industries in the years ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Consensus is that properly applying AI will drive significant economic benefit for companies and countries alike,\u201d says Geoff MacGregor, who handles strategy and corporate development at Toronto-based AI company Element AI.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fighting Fears<\/h2>\n

AI has been somewhat demonized through modern depictions, whether it’s robots who surpass the human race, or intelligent machines that take away the working class livelihood. Given these societal fears around machine-based intelligence, MacGregor says it’s helpful for people to better understand the reality of how it works.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt its simplest, it’s a software tool to augment human work,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe more people understand AI \u2014 what it is and what it isn’t \u2014 the more likely they are to apply it and capture its economic benefit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Supporting Aging Populations<\/h2>\n

One piece of Finland\u2019s strategy includes beefing up knowledge among the country\u2019s older generation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Around 100 senior volunteers have been mentoring their peers on the basics of AI, like using Siri and Alexa, along with navigation and translation apps. This mentorship is taking place in community centers, libraries, and other spots frequented by the elderly, <\/span>according to a report<\/span><\/a> from PRI.<\/span><\/p>\n

The older generation has a lot to gain from learning about AI; apps involving machine intelligence can help seniors mitigate the hurdles of hearing and vision loss and other potential ailments that accompany aging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefiting Society<\/b><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s growing hope that AI will be as beneficial as it is ubiquitous in the decades ahead, both in Finland and beyond. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope we’ll look back on AI as having one of the greatest positive societal impacts ever,\u201d says MacGregor. \u201cWe need to be cautious and diligent on how we adapt to this change but hopefully it allows us to focus on more human jobs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When workers are able to remove the monotonous tasks that negatively impact their happiness, and let AI do the work instead, he hopes that allows more people to embrace their creative and emotional sides. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ll shift our economy towards jobs that require human interaction and emotion like child and elderly care,\u201d MacGregor adds. \u201cIdeally we’ll all accomplish more, work less, and have more time outside work to contribute to culture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Embracing the Inevitable<\/b><\/h2>\n

One thing is certain: AI isn\u2019t going away and is poised to become an increasingly crucial part of the human experience \u2014 be it through home-based assistance apps or robots programmed to perform certain tasks in the workforce.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Artificial intelligence is already part of our everyday life, and it is going to have an even bigger impact on every industry and individual in the future,\u201d <\/span>says Hanna Hagstr\u00f6m<\/span><\/a>, Director of AI Business at Finnish IT company Reaktor. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why everyone should be given a chance to understand what AI really is and how we can use it. The democratization of information is important so that everyone has equal opportunity to shape the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why is Finland training as many citizens as possible on the ins-and-outs of artificial intelligence? There are a few key reasons \u2013 and other countries may want to take note.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8293,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[336,1],"tags":[494,238,758,757],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Finland is Training its Entire Population in AI | BrainStation\u00ae Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why is Finland training as many citizens as possible on the ins-and-outs of Artificial Intelligence? 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