Expanding access to digital skills
During the COVID pandemic, as workplaces were closing and a global economic crisis ensued, global unemployment was heading towards a quarter of a billion people. It became apparent that expanded access to computer science education and digital skills would be critical for recovery, especially for people hardest hit by job losses: those with lower incomes, women, and underrepresented minorities.
To help address these needs, Microsoft launched a worldwide initiative to help people acquire digital skills, using data to identify in-demand jobs and the skills needed to fill them, providing free access to online learning paths as well as low-cost certifications and free job-seeking tools. Over 66.2 million learners in 249 countries and territories have engaged with digital skills content through this initiative. The AI for Good Lab’s involvement includes making data and analytics available to governments around the world so they can better assess local economic needs.
Addressing cybersecurity skills gaps in the workforce
2021 brought unrelenting headlines about cybersecurity attacks. Nation-state actors tampered with the software supply chain and hacked into sensitive government files; criminal ransomware groups attacked schools, penetrated hospitals and shut down a critical national pipeline. With this came the daunting realization that a serious shortage in skilled cybersecurity workers has hampered a strong response. The shortage is so severe that 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs are expected to be opened globally by 2025.
Microsoft has responded by launching a national campaign with U.S. community colleges to help train and recruit 250,000 people into the cybersecurity workforce by 2025. Since October 2021, collaborations have begun with 181 US community colleges across 44 states. The AI for Good Lab has contributed significantly by researching and providing data to help identify where the gaps lie, as well as data visualizations to help with understanding the results.
The AI for Good Lab put together visualizations and a state-by-state dashboard (opens in new tab) to shed light on cybersecurity skills gaps in the U.S., to help traditionally excluded populations enter the cybersecurity workforce.
The efforts were then extended to an additional 23 countries: Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These countries have significant gaps in their cybersecurity workforces, both in terms of the number of and demand for cybersecurity professionals and the lack of diversity, increasing the vulnerability to cyber threats. We created a dashboard (opens in new tab) of these countries to better understand their cybersecurity gaps.
Addressing digital inequities
Education, healthcare, jobs, and other critical services increasingly require people to have access to a fast, affordable broadband internet connection. But more than one out of three people in the U.S. are not using the internet at what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines as a standard broadband rate. Racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and income-insecure families disproportionately lack a proper broadband connection. And many rural and tribal areas do not have the infrastructure to deliver broadband access.
This year, the AI for Good Lab partnered with Microsoft Airband to focus on developing a tool to empower policymakers to identify regions with digital equity gaps that can help direct funding and programmatic investments to the communities most impacted by the digital divide. By aggregating public data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the FCC with research from consumer advocate BroadbandNow, along with Microsoft’s own broadband usage data, we illuminate insights at the census tract level across 20 digital equity indicators, including broadband availability and usage, education and poverty rates. We seek to empower state agencies with easily understandable data as they consider how and where to address economic opportunity gaps.
(opens in new tab)Identifying digital literacy gaps at the local level
Digital literacy is the ability to use technical devices to navigate the digital world, using reading, writing, technical skills, and critical thinking.1 Individuals equipped with digital literacy skills can be better prepared to improve their livelihoods in a digital economy. Our team is currently working with top universities on a tool to measure digital literacy. This tool could be used by researchers and governments to gain further understanding of variables impacted by digital literacy and where to make investments to increase positive outcomes arising from digital literacy.
Expanding inclusion: Opening labs in the global south
The AI for Good Lab’s research shows that there are approximately 5 data scientists in the Global North for every 1 in the Global South – meaning a significant gap exists in the Global South’s ability to turn data into insights for decision-making and action. This dearth is even more severe in Africa, where for every 1 data scientist, there are 14 data scientists in the Global North. To help address this gap, Microsoft recently announced that it will open a $27 million facility in Nairobi, Kenya (opens in new tab). The AI for Good Lab is building upon this investment by opening its first two locations outside the U.S. in Nairobi, Kenya, and Cairo, Egypt, to develop AI talent, build solutions and new partnerships. The Lab will begin its work by addressing the climate crisis in Africa. These efforts are discussed further in the sustainability section.
Additionally, the Lab has recently partnered with the government of Uruguay on a new Microsoft AI and IOT Lab (opens in new tab) that will support startups in the region to deliver new AI innovations in climate change and other pressing areas.
Footnotes