LEARN · FREE · FROM ANY CITY
Free courses for city leaders, municipal teams, residents and young people, from organisations whose pages we checked.
Three paths, each with a first step you can finish this week and a next step after it.
WHY A CITY LEARNS
AI arrives in a city through small decisions: a contract, a chatbot, a dashboard. The people who make those decisions, and the people who live with them, rarely have time to study the technology first. Yet the difference between a city that gains from AI and a city that drifts is made in exactly those decisions, and they are made better by people who understand what they are deciding.
The Lichtensteig AI Declaration, which the summit shapes in the open, says it in two principles. As AI becomes more capable, cities deliberately develop the human capacities needed for wise collective choices and invest in lifelong learning. And the time, attention and resources AI frees are reinvested in people's capabilities, prevention, care and participation: the AI dividend. Automation frees hours in a planning office or a call centre; the question is where those hours go. A city that spends part of them on learning keeps the judgement of its staff alive instead of handing it to the system, and gets residents who can read a public card about a system and ask the right question about it.
The Declaration asks AI to help a city hear more of its voices, above all those least heard today, and the Commitments propose a free AI agent for every resident. An agent is useful only to a person who knows what to ask it and what it may and may not do on their behalf. Learning is what turns a principle on paper into a voice in the room.
So this page belongs to the same work as the Declaration and the framework. The courses are made by others and are listed here because they are free and useful for a city. What a city does with them, together, is the point.
Grow human capability. As AI becomes more capable, we deliberately develop the human capacities needed for wise collective choices: judgement, creativity, empathy, cooperation and responsibility. Cities invest in lifelong learning, and some things they deliberately choose not to automate.
THREE PATHS
Three routes instead of a filter. Each one starts with something you can finish this week and says where to go next. The courses sit under each path with their level, effort, format and what you leave with, so you can choose without opening ten tabs.
PATH 1 · 5 COURSES
You will not write a line of code, and you will sign the contracts, set the budget and answer to residents for what the systems do. This path is about judgement: what AI can and cannot do for a city, which questions to ask a supplier, and where the freed time should go.
PATH 2 · 11 COURSES
You are the people who will set up, use and explain these systems. This path goes from safe everyday use of generative AI to running an AI project responsibly, with ethics and data policy built in from the start rather than added at the end.
PATH 3 · 11 COURSES
The Commitments propose a free AI agent for every resident. This path is about using one well: understanding what it does, what it should never do, and how to make your view of your city heard through it.
PATH 1
5 courses
START WITH
a short course made for public leaders that gives you the vocabulary and the questions, in the time you have.
Apolitical
After the courses you can explain what AI tools can and cannot do in a public body, and pick sensible first uses for your own team.
InnovateUS
You will be able to use generative AI safely in daily municipal work and set up a small, well-governed AI project in your department.
ITU AI Skills Coalition
You will find a course that fits your role and language, instead of searching provider by provider.
GROW INTO
a course on data, rights and governance in government, and then the Commitments' system dossier: ten questions in plain language you can ask of any system your city is offered.
UNESCO and University of Oxford (Saïd Business School)
You will be able to weigh the risks and benefits of an AI proposal in your administration and lead a conversation about it with confidence.
UNESCO and LG AI Research
You will be able to spot ethical risks in an AI project and apply governance principles to decisions in your city.
PATH 2
11 courses
START WITH
a self-paced course for public servants on using generative AI responsibly in daily work.
Apolitical
After the courses you can explain what AI tools can and cannot do in a public body, and pick sensible first uses for your own team.
InnovateUS
You will be able to use generative AI safely in daily municipal work and set up a small, well-governed AI project in your department.
ITU AI Skills Coalition
You will find a course that fits your role and language, instead of searching provider by provider.
University of Helsinki and MinnaLearn
You will be able to explain how AI works in everyday words and spot where claims about it are overstated.
KI-Campus (Stifterverband)
You will be able to use current AI tools with more confidence and understand what AI means for public administration.
The Open University
You will be able to describe what AI can do, where it falls short and how to work alongside it at work and in daily life.
Anthropic
You will be able to delegate work to an AI assistant, judge its answers critically and avoid common mistakes.
UNESCO
You will find a free UNESCO course on AI, media literacy or digital citizenship that suits your language and your role.
GROW INTO
a longer course on AI and digital transformation in government, and then the practice: describe one system your city already uses in a plain-language card, with who answers for it and where its limits are.
UNESCO and University of Oxford (Saïd Business School)
You will be able to weigh the risks and benefits of an AI proposal in your administration and lead a conversation about it with confidence.
Harvard University (CS50)
You will be able to read and write simple AI programmes in Python and understand what sits behind the tools your city may buy.
UNESCO and LG AI Research
You will be able to spot ethical risks in an AI project and apply governance principles to decisions in your city.
PATH 3
11 courses
START WITH
a beginner course on what AI is and how to use it safely, with no technical background needed.
ITU AI Skills Coalition
You will find a course that fits your role and language, instead of searching provider by provider.
University of Helsinki and MinnaLearn
You will be able to explain how AI works in everyday words and spot where claims about it are overstated.
MIT RAISE
Teachers and parents will be able to run age-appropriate AI lessons and talk with children about how AI tools work.
CodeAI (formerly Code.org)
Teachers will be able to teach students how AI makes decisions, and young people will build a first project with AI as a creative helper.
Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind
Teachers, youth workers and volunteers will be able to run clear, hands-on sessions that explain AI to teenagers.
KI-Campus (Stifterverband)
You will be able to use current AI tools with more confidence and understand what AI means for public administration.
The Open University
You will be able to describe what AI can do, where it falls short and how to work alongside it at work and in daily life.
Anthropic
You will be able to delegate work to an AI assistant, judge its answers critically and avoid common mistakes.
UNESCO
You will find a free UNESCO course on AI, media literacy or digital citizenship that suits your language and your role.
GROW INTO
a recognised credential in AI or data, a first project of your own, and the summit's sessions for young people, where a seat is held by right.
IBM
You will be able to show employers a recognised credential in AI or data and know which next course to take.
Harvard University (CS50)
You will be able to read and write simple AI programmes in Python and understand what sits behind the tools your city may buy.
HOW THIS PAGE WORKS
ITU AI Skills Coalition
The United Nations agency for digital technologies, which gathers AI courses from many providers into one searchable catalogue.
A searchable catalogue of AI courses from many providers, from first steps to advanced material, that you can filter by topic, language and audience. Many entries are free and some carry a certificate, so check each course page before you enrol.
OUTCOMES
You will find a course that fits your role and language, instead of searching provider by provider.
GOOD FOR CITIES
One neutral UN catalogue lets a city team build a learning plan for very different people, from the mayor to a youth worker.
Link checked 20 October 2026
UNESCO and University of Oxford (Saïd Business School)
A course funded by the UN educational and cultural agency and delivered by a leading business school.
A free online course for people in public service at local, regional or national level, covering the ethics of AI, data governance and hands-on work with generative AI. No technical background is needed, and finishers receive an official digital certificate of completion.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to weigh the risks and benefits of an AI proposal in your administration and lead a conversation about it with confidence.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It treats local government as a first-class audience, with a certificate that carries weight in procurement and policy discussions.
Link checked 20 October 2026
UNESCO
The United Nations agency for education, science and culture, which offers open online courses built with leading universities and experts.
A free and open course catalogue across education, culture and information, with artificial intelligence and AI ethics among its most popular topics. Courses come in several UN languages, both self-paced and instructor-led.
OUTCOMES
You will find a free UNESCO course on AI, media literacy or digital citizenship that suits your language and your role.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It covers the civic side of AI, such as media literacy and ethics, that city programmes for residents and schools often need.
Link checked 20 October 2026
UNESCO and LG AI Research
An open course made by the UN education agency with an AI research lab and taught by scholars from leading universities.
A free course on Coursera that takes you from the foundations of AI ethics to global AI governance, in short modules with flexible timing. It is built for professionals who already know a little about AI.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to spot ethical risks in an AI project and apply governance principles to decisions in your city.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It gives decision makers a shared ethical framework for approving, buying and overseeing AI used on residents.
Link checked 20 October 2026
InnovateUS
A public-interest training project run by university-based research centres that focus on governance and civic innovation.
No-cost, self-paced video courses that show government workers how to use generative AI responsibly and how to run AI projects well. Topics range from everyday prompting to democratic engagement, and the courses are open to anyone who wants to improve public services.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to use generative AI safely in daily municipal work and set up a small, well-governed AI project in your department.
GOOD FOR CITIES
The courses are written for public professionals, so examples come from town halls, permitting counters and community engagement rather than from industry.
Link checked 20 October 2026
University of Helsinki and MinnaLearn
A Finnish university and a learning company that built this course as a free gift to all citizens of Europe and beyond.
A free introduction to AI for non-experts, with no maths or programming needed. It mixes plain explanations with exercises, and a follow-up course goes a little deeper for people who want to build something.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to explain how AI works in everyday words and spot where claims about it are overstated.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It is a ready-made citizen course in many European languages, handy for libraries, community centres and staff who need a first conversation about AI.
Link checked 20 October 2026
MIT RAISE
A responsible-AI education group at a leading technical university, which builds open learning tools for schools.
Free, open-source lessons, tools and teacher training that bring AI literacy into classrooms, with a new grade-by-grade curriculum for the full school range. Families and school leaders have their own sections too.
OUTCOMES
Teachers and parents will be able to run age-appropriate AI lessons and talk with children about how AI tools work.
GOOD FOR CITIES
A city can hand its schools, youth centres and libraries a free, tested curriculum instead of writing one from scratch.
Link checked 20 October 2026
Harvard University (CS50)
A famous Harvard computer science course team that publishes its teaching openly for anyone to follow.
A deeper, hands-on course on the ideas behind modern AI, from search and uncertainty to neural networks and language. You work through the materials and projects for free in your own time; a verified certificate is a separate paid option.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to read and write simple AI programmes in Python and understand what sits behind the tools your city may buy.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It is a strong choice for the data analysts and digital staff who evaluate or build AI tools for the city.
Link checked 20 October 2026
The Open University
A distance-learning university that publishes free courses and articles on its OpenLearn site, here together with a technology company.
A hub of free AI courses, articles, videos and interactive pieces, from a general introduction to the human skills people need when working with AI. No prior technical knowledge is required and there are no time limits.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to describe what AI can do, where it falls short and how to work alongside it at work and in daily life.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It is easy to share with residents and staff alike, because nobody has to commit to a full programme to get something useful.
Link checked 20 October 2026
CodeAI (formerly Code.org)
An education nonprofit best known for bringing computer science into schools worldwide, now focused on teaching about AI as well.
Free AI curricula for middle and high school, plus a self-paced introductory series for any teacher or educator. Students learn how AI works before building with it.
OUTCOMES
Teachers will be able to teach students how AI makes decisions, and young people will build a first project with AI as a creative helper.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It gives school districts and after-school programmes a free route to AI skills for the next generation, in many languages.
Link checked 20 October 2026
Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind
A UK educational charity that teaches young people about computing, working here with an AI research lab.
Free lesson packs for secondary-age learners, with plans, slides, worksheets and videos, plus a free online course for anyone who helps educate young people. Local organisations offer translated and adapted versions.
OUTCOMES
Teachers, youth workers and volunteers will be able to run clear, hands-on sessions that explain AI to teenagers.
GOOD FOR CITIES
Youth programmes, libraries and coding clubs can start AI sessions straight away with ready-to-use material.
Link checked 20 October 2026
KI-Campus (Stifterverband)
A German non-profit association's open platform for AI learning, with offers for the public, universities, companies and public administrations.
A free learning platform with online courses, videos and podcasts on AI, including a section for public administrations. Certificates are free too, and the interface works in German and English.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to use current AI tools with more confidence and understand what AI means for public administration.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It has a dedicated track for administrations, so municipal staff can learn alongside colleagues and earn a free certificate.
Link checked 20 October 2026
Apolitical
A learning network for public servants around the world, known for practical courses written with and for people who work in government.
A free learning hub built only for public servants, mixing self-paced courses, live sessions and short practical briefings on using AI in government. It is a sensible shared starting point when a mayor's office and the departments around it want to learn the same things at the same time.
OUTCOMES
After the courses you can explain what AI tools can and cannot do in a public body, and pick sensible first uses for your own team.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It gives a whole city administration one common vocabulary for AI, in the language many staff already speak.
Link checked 20 October 2026
IBM
A technology company that runs a free learning platform alongside its commercial business.
A free online learning platform with courses on AI, data and cybersecurity for adults, students and teachers. It suits residents who want recognised digital credentials and a clear path from beginner to job-ready skills.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to show employers a recognised credential in AI or data and know which next course to take.
GOOD FOR CITIES
A city can point jobseekers, students and teachers to one free route into digital careers without running its own training.
Link checked 20 October 2026
Anthropic
An AI company whose education team publishes free courses on using AI thoughtfully.
Free courses, tutorials and use cases on using AI safely and effectively, including a foundations course on working with AI and one on what AI can and cannot do. Short quizzes help the ideas stick.
OUTCOMES
You will be able to delegate work to an AI assistant, judge its answers critically and avoid common mistakes.
GOOD FOR CITIES
It builds the everyday judgement staff need before they use AI tools on casework, reports or citizen communication.
Link checked 20 October 2026
A course changes one person. A city changes when the people who decide, the people who run the systems and the people who live with them learn at the same time and then sit at the same table. Pick one path each, finish the first step this week, and bring what you learned to the summit: it is free, online and recorded, so a team can take part from any city and return to a session with colleagues.
This is an independent list of free learning resources. Inclusion does not imply partnership with or endorsement by the organisations listed, unless marked as a Learning Partner.