Free AI Policy Courses That Can Jumpstart Your Career

If you're curious about how AI gets regulated—and maybe want a career in it—a new personal guide compares four free courses that can help. All require an application and acceptance, but they offer certificates for your LinkedIn, contacts in the field, and real knowledge. BlueDot Impact is the recommended starting point, with a 25-hour AGI Strategy course and a 40-hour Frontier AI Governance course. The author suggests taking the governance course part-time over 5-6 weeks rather than as a 5-day intensive to get the most out of it.

For those with some technical background, Lens Academy offers a 25-hour Compute Verification course on how countries can trust each other's AI commitments. Vista Institute's National Security Law & AI course is a 20-hour speaker series that explores the legal side of AI governance, best for mid-career professionals. It can be done alongside a full-time job. The author notes it challenged assumptions from BlueDot's course by introducing legal constraints.

The Center for AI and Digital Policy's AI Policy Clinic is a three-month program meeting twice a week. It has a global cohort from about 130 countries and a 50% acceptance rate, making it less exclusive. The author just started it and will report back later. Overall, these courses are a low-cost way to break into the growing field of AI policy, which is becoming more important as governments race to regulate AI.