AI Capacity Building Globally by UNESCO: Fostering Ingenious Public Sector Progress in 31 Countries
In the age of digital transformation, public institutions face mounting pressure to modernize their services while safeguarding human rights, transparency, and inclusivity. However, many governments struggle with digital competencies, infrastructure, and coherent regulation necessary for fully using artificial intelligence (AI) for public benefit.
To tackle this challenge, UNESCO has introduced a comprehensive AI learning journey aimed at developing ethical, inclusive AI capacity within the public sector. The Global AI Training for the Public Sector, completed in February 2025, is a six-week international course that trained government officials from 31 countries.
The training provided a structured, multidisciplinary curriculum to help public officials understand AI's technical, ethical, and strategic dimensions. Key modules focused on AI fundamentals, public service design, AI governance, and hands-on practical exercises.
Expert faculty from around the world shared insights and best practices, ensuring participants received a multifaceted perspective on AI adoption. The training drew civil servants from diverse ministries, parliaments, and regulatory agencies, placing strong emphasis on gender inclusion.
Participants emerged from the program with actionable knowledge and tailored strategies to improve their institutions. Many have begun implementing AI-driven projects to automate bureaucratic workflows, design citizen-centric digital platforms, implement responsible data policies, and develop legal frameworks for ethical AI deployment.
UNESCO's initiative builds on the success of the AI4Gov Master Programme, originally funded by the European Union, and is supported through the EU's Global Gateway Initiative, ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning. The training is part of a larger strategic vision, the Programme on AI for the Public Sector, launched in 2021, which supports governments worldwide in adopting AI in transparent, efficient, rights-based, and inclusive ways.
Future initiatives include a global MOOC on digital transformation and AI, a repository of AI tools for the public sector, and country-level and regional trainings in 2025. These resources aim to provide scalable, multilingual support for civil servants navigating the complex landscape of digital transformation and AI implementation.
By integrating AI into governance structures responsibly, governments can enhance administrative efficiency, promote transparency, expand civic engagement, and ensure equitable access to services. Crucially, UNESCO's model prioritizes human dignity and social inclusion, ensuring that AI becomes a tool for empowerment rather than exclusion.
- The Global AI Training for the Public Sector, completed by UNESCO in February 2025, utilized technology to provide an online education focused on artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to develop ethical, inclusive AI capacity within public institutions.
- Participants in the training, consisting of government officials from 31 countries, benefited from a structured, multidisciplinary curriculum that covered AI fundamentals, public service design, AI governance, and practical exercises.
- With the completion of the course, civil servants from various ministries, parliaments, and regulatory agencies gained actionable knowledge, implementing AI-driven projects to modernize services, promote transparency, and ensure inclusivity in their institutions.
