OpenAI casts its AI net wider across low-income countries with $1 million in API credits through its new OpenAI Academy initiative

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The ChatGPT maker's new OpenAI Academy program will make gen AI accessible across low and middle-income countries.

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(Image credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto)

What you need to know

  • OpenAI recently unveiled OpenAI Academy, which will use AI to help developers and organizations solve problems and enhance growth in low-income countries.
  • Through the initiative, devs and organizations will have access to technical support, training, and API credits to facilitate the development of AI-driven solutions for local challenges across sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, and education.
  • The ChatGPT maker will disclose details about accessing OpenAI Academy's resources soon. 

Today, OpenAI unveiled OpenAI Academy, a platform designed to help "developers and organizations leveraging AI to help solve hard problems and catalyze economic growth in their communities." It'll also help ensure that the power of generative AI is broadly accessible worldwide, including in low—and mid-income countries.

According to the ChatGPT maker:

"Many countries have fast-growing technology sectors with talented developers and innovative organizations, but access to advanced training and technical resources remains limited. Investing in the development of local AI talent can fuel economic growth and innovation across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, and finance."

In addition to technical guidance and training, OpenAI Academy will provide $1 million in API credits to facilitate the development of AI-driven solutions for local challenges across sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, and education.

This news comes as the world seems to have reached an impasse about AI's benefits and risks. On one hand, the world might be on the brink of the biggest technological breakthrough with AI, but there might not be enough electricity to power its advances. 

Elsewhere, separate reports indicate it could claim jobs from humans, rendering work a mere hobby, possibly ending humanity. However, another report states that 30% of AI-themed projects will be abandoned by 2025 after proof of concept. 

In the interim, the OpenAI Academy ships with several provisions, including:

  • Training and Technical Guidance: Support from OpenAI experts for developers and mission-driven organizations leveraging AI.
  • API Credits: Distributing an initial $1 million in API credits to expand access to OpenAI models, enabling participants to build and deploy innovative applications.
  • Community Building: Fostering a global network of developers to collaborate, share knowledge, and drive collective innovation.
  • Contests and Incubators: Partnering with philanthropists to invest in organizations solving challenges at the front lines of their communities.

The program complements OpenAI’s long-standing support for AI developers and organizations. Additionally, the ChatGPT maker has funded and published a professional translation of the Massive Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU) into 14 different languages, including Korean, Chinese, German, and more—a measure of AI intelligence to further support developers.

Incidentally, Microsoft launched Copilot Academy last week to help users leverage the AI chatbot's capabilities appropriately and ultimately realize its full potential. Another report disclosed that Microsoft's top complaint about Copilot is that it's not as good as ChatGPT. Microsoft quickly disregarded the claims and narrowed the issue to a lack of proper prompt engineering practices.

As it seems, top players in the AI landscape are heavily investing in a library of resources to equip users with the required skills to allow them to use the technology effectively and efficiently. 

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Kevin Okemwa
Kevin Okemwa
Contributor

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You'll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.