The recent announcement by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall regarding the AI Skills Hub has been met with disappointment and frustration. The government scheme, which aimed to provide free online AI training courses for every adult in the UK, has turned out to be a massive letdown.
Upon visiting the AI Skills Hub website, it became apparent that the resources allocated to this initiative have been squandered. Instead of offering comprehensive courses on AI fundamentals, the hub simply redirects users to existing commercial courses. These courses come with hefty price tags, such as the AI Filmmakers masterclass for £750 and AI Advertising for £590. This is a far cry from the promised free training opportunities.
What’s more concerning is that there are no AI courses developed by the department or the hub itself. The website merely acts as a referral service, pointing users towards expensive and unrelated courses. This lack of original content and substance raises questions about the effectiveness of the AI Skills Hub in achieving its stated goals.
A scathing report by The Telegraph highlighted the hub’s shortcomings, noting that some advertised courses are either impossible to complete or non-existent. Others require attendance at workshops in remote locations, making them inaccessible to the majority of users. The government’s payment of £4.1 million to PwC for the development of the hub only adds insult to injury.
The Conservative party has criticized the website as “embarrassing” and accused the government of wasting taxpayers’ money. Meanwhile, Labour has touted the website as a tool to upskill 10 million workers and modernize the economy. However, the reality is far from these lofty claims, as the website fails to deliver on its promises.
In conclusion, the AI Skills Hub has proven to be a costly and ineffective initiative. Despite the noble intentions behind its creation, the hub’s execution has been marred by a lack of original content, misleading course offerings, and a failure to deliver on its objectives. It’s clear that significant improvements are needed to salvage this project and provide meaningful AI training opportunities to the public.