Microsoft Plans to Invest USD 4 Billion for AI Education The initiative arrives amid growing scrutiny of the role AI tools particularly classroom chatbots like Microsoft's Copilot will play in education

Microsoft announced it will invest over USD 4 billion in AI education, aiming to train millions of individuals through schools, community colleges, nonprofits, and its newly launched Microsoft Elevate Academy. The academy intends to certify at least 20 million people in AI-related skills.

"Microsoft will serve as an advocate to ensure that students in every school across the country have access to AI education," said Brad Smith, Microsoft's President, in a statement on Sunday. The company, however, did not specify how the USD 4 billion will be distributed between grants and in-kind technology services.

The initiative arrives amid growing scrutiny of the role AI tools particularly classroom chatbots like Microsoft's Copilot will play in education. While tech firms promise enhanced learning, some researchers caution that over-reliance on AI may diminish critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

To support educators in this transition, the American Federation of Teachers representing 1.8 million members is establishing a national AI training centre, bolstered by USD 23 million in funding from Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

Microsoft's move follows a broader industry pledge, with firms such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Nvidia, and OpenAI committing to support AI education in schools as part of a White House initiative. Amazon, for instance, announced its "AI Ready" programme last year to offer free AI training to 2 million people.

Reflecting on the rapid changes brought by AI, Smith added, "Coding changed the work of software developers, but it didn't change every profession. AI probably will, so we need to move faster for AI than we did for computer science."