Elevating AI skills for all

Summary

This discussion features Naria Santa Lucia from Microsoft presenting the company’s new AI skilling initiative called Microsoft Elevate at an ITU conference. Santa Lucia begins by outlining Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization globally, while posing fundamental questions about whether AI should replace people or help them become smarter and pursue better jobs. She announces that Microsoft is launching Microsoft Elevate, a new philanthropic organization that will donate $4 billion in cash and technology to schools and nonprofits over the next five years, while training 20 million people in AI skills within two years.

The presentation emphasizes the urgency of AI skills development, citing research showing that 70% of job skills will change by 2030, yet 75% of young people in low- and middle-income countries lack the skills needed for good jobs in the AI economy. Additionally, while 76% of global education leaders view AI literacy as essential, only 10% of schools provide AI guidance to educators. Microsoft’s approach focuses on providing credentialed training rather than just brief exposure, offering free training, curriculum, and tools like the AI Skills Navigator.

Santa Lucia highlights key partnerships with UN agencies, including the ITU’s AI Skills Coalition with 50 participating organizations, UNICEF’s Passport to Learning and Passport to Earning programs that have trained 14 million individuals across 47 countries, and the ILO’s Women in Digital Business Program supporting female entrepreneurs. She concludes with a call to action for organizations to join these collaborative efforts to ensure no one is left behind in developing AI skills for the future economy.

Keypoints

**Major Discussion Points:**

– **Microsoft’s AI Philosophy and Mission Shift**: The company is reframing its approach by asking whether they should build machines that are smarter than people or machines that help people become smarter, and whether AI should outperform people in jobs or help them pursue better jobs.

– **Launch of Microsoft Elevate Initiative**: A new $4 billion philanthropic program over five years that consolidates donations, technical support, product development influence, skills training, and policy advocacy to support schools and nonprofits in the AI transition.

– **Massive AI Skills Training Goal**: Microsoft’s commitment to train 20 million people in AI skills over the next two years, focusing on providing credentialed learning rather than just bite-sized content, to help people advance their career prospects.

– **Skills Gap Crisis in AI Economy**: Highlighting critical statistics showing that 70% of job skills will change by 2030, 75% of young people in 92+ countries lack necessary AI economy skills, and only 10% of schools provide AI guidance despite 76% of education leaders viewing AI literacy as essential.

– **Strategic UN and International Partnerships**: Emphasis on collaborations with ITU’s AI Skills Coalition, UNICEF’s Passport to Learning/Earning programs (reaching 14 million people in 47 countries), and ILO’s Women in Digital Business Program to ensure global reach and local trust.

**Overall Purpose:**

The discussion serves as both an announcement of Microsoft’s new philanthropic AI initiative and a call to action for collaborative efforts to ensure equitable access to AI skills training globally. The speaker aims to demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to putting people first in AI development while recruiting partners for their ambitious training goals.

**Overall Tone:**

The tone is consistently optimistic, enthusiastic, and collaborative throughout. The speaker maintains an upbeat, mission-driven approach while acknowledging the challenges ahead. There are moments of humor (technical difficulties with the video, visitor interruption) that keep the presentation personable, and the tone becomes increasingly collaborative toward the end with multiple calls for partnership and community involvement.

Speakers

– **Naria Santa Lucia**: Works on AI skilling globally for Microsoft; part of Microsoft Elevate initiative focused on AI skills training and workforce development

– **LJ Rich**: Conference moderator/host; formerly worked on BBC Click TV show

**Additional speakers:**

– **Doreen Bogdan-Martin**: ITU team member (mentioned but did not speak in this transcript)

– **Bill Gates**: Microsoft founder and CEO (mentioned but did not speak in this transcript)

– **Kevin Frey**: Works with Generation Unlimited on the Passport to Earning program (mentioned but did not speak in this transcript)

– **Kate Barnes**: Microsoft colleague working on partnerships (mentioned but did not speak in this transcript)

# Comprehensive Discussion Report: Microsoft Elevate AI Skills Initiative

## Executive Summary

This discussion featured Naria Santa Lucia from Microsoft presenting the company’s AI skills initiative, Microsoft Elevate, at an ITU conference on a Friday afternoon. The presentation, moderated by LJ Rich, outlined Microsoft’s philosophical approach to human-centred AI development and announced a $4 billion philanthropic commitment over the next five years. The discussion emphasised the urgent need for global AI skills development, highlighting critical gaps in current educational systems and workforce preparedness for the AI economy.

## Microsoft’s Philosophical Framework and Mission Evolution

Santa Lucia began by establishing Microsoft’s foundational mission to empower every person and organisation globally to achieve more. She introduced a philosophical reframing of the company’s approach to AI development through two fundamental questions that have shaped their strategy.

The first question addressed the core purpose of AI development: “Are we trying to build machines that are smarter than people, or machines that will help people become smarter?” The second question focused on employment implications: “Are we trying to build machines that will outperform people in their jobs, or machines that will help people pursue better jobs?”

These philosophical underpinnings established the framework for Microsoft’s entire approach to AI development, emphasising human empowerment rather than replacement and positioning AI as an augmentation tool for human capability enhancement.

## The Microsoft Elevate Initiative: Structure and Investment

Santa Lucia announced Microsoft Elevate, launched on Wednesday and Thursday of that week, representing a $4 billion commitment over the next five years, combining cash donations and technology contributions to schools and nonprofits worldwide. She noted that her title had changed but she couldn’t inform the ITU team until after the launch.

Microsoft Elevate integrates five interconnected functions: philanthropic donations, sales and technical support, product development influence, comprehensive skills training, and public policy advocacy. This holistic approach ensures that the initiative operates across multiple dimensions rather than simply providing financial support.

The programme includes a commitment to train 20 million people in AI skills over the next two years. Microsoft emphasises providing credentialed training rather than superficial exposure, focusing on in-demand AI credentials that can demonstrably advance learners’ career prospects. As Santa Lucia noted, brief training sessions, whilst accessible, may not provide sufficient depth to enable meaningful economic advancement.

## The Global Skills Gap Crisis

Santa Lucia presented statistics that underscore the urgency of AI skills development initiatives. The data reveals that 70% of skills used in most jobs will change by 2030, indicating a fundamental transformation in workforce requirements across industries.

Particularly concerning is the geographic and demographic distribution of skills gaps. Research indicates that 75% of young people in more than 92 countries, especially those in low- and middle-income countries in the Global South, lack the skills needed to secure quality employment in the emerging AI economy.

The educational system’s response appears inadequate. While 76% of global education leaders view AI literacy as an essential skill, only 10% of schools and universities are providing guidance to AI educators. This stark contrast reveals a critical implementation gap between awareness at leadership levels and effective execution.

## Strategic Partnerships and Global Reach

Microsoft’s approach emphasises collaborative partnerships with established international organisations. The ITU AI Skills Coalition brings together more than 50 organisations committed to AI skills development, providing a platform for sharing resources and coordinating efforts.

The partnership with UNICEF through the Passport to Learning and Passport to Earning programmes has successfully trained 14 million individuals across 47 countries. Santa Lucia shared that she had spoken with the head of education for UNICEF a couple of nights prior in Seattle, who had been a country director in Laos during COVID and described the challenges of reaching children during the pandemic.

Microsoft’s collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on the Women in Digital Business Programme addresses gender disparities in digital skills development. This initiative supports female micro-entrepreneurs in gaining digital and AI skills. Santa Lucia shared a success story from Kenya about a woman who expanded from basic online selling to digital marketing across WhatsApp and Facebook platforms. The programme includes partnerships with M-PESA, which provides devices to women participants.

## Training Methodology and Quality Assurance

Microsoft’s approach to AI skills training emphasises depth and credentialing over superficial exposure. The programme utilises tools such as the AI Skills Navigator, which Santa Lucia described as using “AI itself to help get you started on a learning journey.” This tool provides structured pathways for learners to develop comprehensive AI competencies.

The Microsoft Elevate Academy focuses on providing learners with verifiable credentials that can demonstrate their capabilities to potential employers. By offering free training, curriculum, and supporting tools, Microsoft aims to remove financial barriers whilst maintaining quality standards.

## Technical Challenges and Live Presentation Context

During the presentation, Santa Lucia encountered technical difficulties, mentioning “there’s no sound” and attempting to restart the video presentation. She also noted a visitor interruption, saying “I think we have a visitor. See you later” during her presentation, highlighting that this was a live conference presentation with real-time challenges.

## Collaborative Call to Action

Santa Lucia concluded with a strong emphasis on collaborative engagement, specifically inviting organisations to join the ITU AI Skills Coalition if they had not already done so. She called for new partnerships with organisations that could contribute content, networks, funding, or commitment to AI skills development.

The collaborative approach includes specific commitments from partners. Kevin Frey from Generation Unlimited, who is working on the Passport to Earning programme with Microsoft, committed to delivering 4 million credentials as part of the broader 20 million target. Santa Lucia also mentioned Kate Barnes from Microsoft as “the brainchild behind all these partnerships” when discussing success stories.

## Conclusion

This discussion represented both an announcement of Microsoft Elevate and a call to action for collaborative efforts to ensure equitable access to AI skills training globally. Santa Lucia positioned the initiative as a comprehensive response to identified global challenges, emphasising the combination of substantial financial commitment, strategic partnerships, and focus on quality credentialing.

The presentation’s emphasis on human empowerment over replacement, credentialing over casual training, and collaboration over competition establishes a framework for addressing global skills development challenges. Santa Lucia’s call for partnership and her invitation for others to join the ITU AI Skills Coalition underscored the collaborative nature needed to achieve the ambitious goal of training 20 million people in AI skills over the next two years.

Naria Santa Lucia: Hello, hello, everyone. It’s Friday afternoon. We’re almost done. Hello to everyone in the room. Hello to everyone watching online. I’m Naria Santa Lucia. I’m so excited to be here today with all of you, and I also want to just thank the ITU so much, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, and the whole team. It’s been just a phenomenal, smooth experience, so I just want to say a huge thank you as well. So I have the very distinct honor of being able to work on AI skilling globally for Microsoft, and whenever we think about any part of our work, we always start with our mission, and our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. That’s where we start all of our conversations. But in the past few months, we’ve actually been having a little bit of an interesting different conversation as well, and we’re asking ourselves a few questions. We’re asking ourselves, are we trying to build machines that are smarter than people, or machines that will help people become smarter? We’re also asking ourselves, are we trying to build machines that will outperform people in their jobs, or machines that will help people pursue better jobs? So with these two questions in mind, we’ve been thinking through our organization, thinking through where we do our philanthropic investments, our resource allocation, the places we spend our money and our time and our energy to really think about talent and workforce development, especially in the case of the AI economy and this new transition to that AI economy. Just on Wednesday, so I think it was Thursday morning in Seattle, I had the chance to participate in the launch of a new group and a new initiative that is actually going to be the next iteration of our philanthropy. So actually, my title’s changed, but I couldn’t tell the ITU team until then. So I have a little video to show what we’ve been doing at Microsoft. Uh-oh, there’s no sound. Can we try again with sound? We’re going to try again, because this is technology, right, everyone? It’s all good. We’re going to… Yes. As AI advances, we must ask ourselves some hard questions. Are we building technology to replace people or to help people thrive? We know that AI will add such a depth for children and young people. She envisioned it with CoPilot. Being out on the ice is exactly the way she wanted it. Are we trying to create AI that will outsmart humanity or elevate it? Public policymaking is about seeing the big picture, responding to the trends while addressing individual needs of the people. With AI, I can be more independent. At Microsoft, we believe in advancing AI by putting people first. I needed to pivot. Using AI really expands the scope of the things that you can be good at. The teacher matches more now in times of AI. I’m extremely optimistic about the future of AI. It has helped me to be the best version of myself. It feels very good to do your job easier and to focus on what is important. We can really boost the impact that we have supporting small-scale farmers globally around the world. To just have access, this is what gives me joy. We’re partnering with schools, nonprofits, labor organizations, and governments in new and innovative ways to ensure AI serves everyone. Every day, someone has a new idea of how to use AI that can revolutionize the world. Introducing Microsoft Elevate, putting people first. All right. Well, we are putting all of our philanthropic efforts, the way that we do our business, especially with our education and our nonprofits, and we’re going to launch this and do that work through our new organization, Microsoft Elevate. Really, that tagline is so meaningful to us, because in this moment of AI, we really want to focus on the people. A couple things, and hopefully this is helpful to think about the way that we’re thinking of things through at Microsoft, but hopefully it’s a way potentially we’d love to chat with anyone else about what’s on the top of your organization’s minds as well. But we are pulling together five different interconnected functions within the company. First and foremost, our philanthropic donations. So, Microsoft has always had a DNA of giving back to our nonprofit communities. That actually came from our founder and CEO, Bill Gates. His mother was a huge philanthropist and always said that she wanted him to make sure that they provided opportunities for people who worked at Microsoft to give back to the community. So, we will be continuing with that philanthropic donation and also continuing forward. I think we have a visitor. See you later. So, we will be connecting all of those philanthropic donations along with our sales and our technical support in the education and nonprofit area. We will influence and bring community voice into our product development in that area. We’ll also anchor on skilling training, especially in the AI context. And finally, we’ll take all that learning and really inform the way that we do public policy and advocacy in the education and nonprofit area. In the education and workforce space. So, I’m so excited because I get to have a chance to really anchor on the skills part. And I’ll talk a little bit more about that in a moment. But what this all means is that Microsoft Elevate, over the next five years, will be donating $4 billion in cash and technology to schools and nonprofits. And then, on the other side of the coin, the work that our team is really going to be driving is that we will be helping to train 20 million people in the next two years on AI. So, about that. So, this talk is called Elevating AI Skills for All. Why are we doing this work? Well, we’re obviously the creators of one of these AI technologies. We know that we have a responsibility to make sure that those benefits can be felt by everyone. And we also know that this world is changing so fast that the pace of change is often daunting. Our friends at LinkedIn have a study that indicates that 70% of skills used in most jobs right now will change by 2030. It’s such a daunting pace of change. And yet, 75% of young people in more than 92 countries, and especially in those countries that are low- or middle-income in this country, Global South, they fall short of having the skills needed to secure the jobs that are going to be good jobs in the AI economy. We also, through our own education research, have found that 76% of global education leaders view AI literacy as an essential skill, but only 10% of schools and universities are providing guidance to AI educators. And that’s why we are, as a part of Microsoft Elevate, launching and putting our efforts behind a new academy. We are going to be helping those 20 million people earn an in-demand AI credential in the next two years. I think that’s really important to pause and remember. A lot of our partners have been talking about this, because it’s very easy just to train people for a few hours or a few moments or go, you know, bite-sized content. That’s wonderful. And we think people should continue to do that in AI. But even more important is to make sure our learners have an ability to test the learning that they’ve developed, and then have a signal, a credential, to show the world, put that on LinkedIn, put that on another profile. It doesn’t have to be a degree, but it could be a digital certificate or a micro-credential. And that’s really, really important, so we really want to anchor on that, because we think that will be the way that they’ll be able to advance their livelihood opportunities and job prospects as well. A couple of things that we do to do that. We offer free training credentials, free curriculum that’s all available. We have actually a great tool called the AI Skills Navigator. You can go on and use AI itself to help get you started on a learning journey. It’s a wonderful way to surface the content and go from course to course in a way that would make sense and bring learners along. We also really want to continue to provide data and insights, and we often do that with our friends at LinkedIn, on the economy, on the skills that are developing, on trends as well. And then how can we really be a place to convene? And actually, this is the reason why we love coming to summits and conferences like this, because there are so many people from all across different industries. We can break down our silos, and that is one of the ways that we really hope to continue to make a difference as well. But all of that is wonderful, but at the center of all of our work is our partnerships. One of the most effective partnerships have been through agencies across the UN, because we know that if we can partner at the local level with organizations that are trusted locally, we can have that lasting impact. So I wanted to just do a plug for a few of the different partnerships that we think have been really impactful. I know this is one that Doreen has already talked about and folks have already spoken about, but it is this AI Skills Coalition with the ITU. And I know it was launched earlier this year. I think 50 different organizations have now joined on board. We are really, really happy about this coalition, because it is the UN platform to bring multisectoral approach together and think about how we’re going to really train people on AI skills. So it’s not too late. If your organization has not joined, please join us in this effort. I think we can really make a difference together on helping everybody gain those AI skills. Another great partner of ours, also in the UN system, is UNICEF. So UNICEF, everybody knows, does a tremendous job of helping children succeed and thrive. Well, there are two initiatives that we are very proud of and will continue to invest in through Elevate Academy. The first is our Passport to Learning program. This is a program that was first developed to think about how can we put content and curriculum online, especially in places with low connectivity. And we did that activity with UNICEF before COVID. And of course, after COVID, every government needed something like this really quickly. I was actually with the head of education for UNICEF a couple nights ago in Seattle, and she was telling me that she was actually a country director in Laos at the time of COVID, and that this Passport to Learning really was exactly what the government needed to put all their national curriculum online so that young people could learn and continue to learn in the pandemic. We then took that program and iterated it to become the Passport to Earning, another platform to really help youth job seekers who are training in the digital and then now the AI economy. Collectively, 14 million individuals have been trained in 47 countries based on those two platforms. And we’re really excited to move forward. Kevin Frey of Generation Unlimited, who is working on the Passport to Earning with us, said he’s going to get me 4 million credentials of the 20 million. So I said, let’s go, Kevin. But that’s just another amazing partnership that we are really very much proud of. We’re also super excited about our partnership with the ILO. We have a program called the Women in Digital Business Program. We help women micro entrepreneurs gain digital and AI skills. And I just want to shout out my colleague, Kate Barnes, who is actually the brainchild behind all these partnerships. But she and I were just talking about, you know, what are some of the amazing success stories we’ve seen. And she was telling me about a woman in Kenya who was initially just selling her products online and then was able to use these skills to really get out there and do digital marketing in a new way, get onto different platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook and really have her business accelerate. We’re very, very proud of this. We’ve also taken like a multi-industry approach and gotten one of our partners M-PESA to give devices also to the women. And then women become trained and then train others as well. So it’s just really a wonderful opportunity to very much make a difference. So in closing, I just wanted to put that call to action. There are so many different ways that we all can work as a community to make sure that nobody is left behind with the AI skills. Whether you have content, whether you have a network, whether you have funding, whether you just have a heart that you want to get involved and take hold, remember that you can always join that AI skills coalition. There are so many other partnerships that we would love to embark on with all of you. So with that, I just want to say thank you so much again to the ITU and to everyone here. And I hope that we can see you in partnership to elevate AI skills for everyone. Thanks so much.

LJ Rich: Thank you. Thank you so much. That clicker has been held by some of the most famous hands in the world of AI. I feel like it’s one of those things. Many years ago when I was working on a TV show called BBC Click, I got to shake hands with Stevie Wonder and it’s just these sorts of legendary moments. So the hand that this hand has shaken and then all of you that I’m meeting at the event as well, it’s absolutely brilliant. And I still sometimes wonder how I’ve ended up here. So our next presentation is actually on AI and environment. That’s right, isn’t it?

Agreement points

Importance of AI skills development and education

Speakers

– Naria Santa Lucia
– LJ Rich

Arguments

Microsoft aims to train 20 million people in AI skills over the next two years, focusing on providing in-demand AI credentials rather than just brief training sessions

Only 10% of schools and universities provide AI guidance to educators, despite 76% of education leaders viewing AI literacy as essential

Summary

Both speakers acknowledge the critical importance of AI skills development and the significant gaps in current educational systems’ ability to provide adequate AI training and guidance

Topics

Future of work | Capacity development | Online education

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers recognize the value of collaborative partnerships and networking in advancing AI and technology initiatives, with emphasis on the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation

Speakers

– Naria Santa Lucia
– LJ Rich

Arguments

The presenter acknowledges the significance of the event and the networking opportunities it provides, drawing parallels to other memorable professional encounters

Microsoft partners with UN agencies including the ITU AI Skills Coalition (50+ organizations) and UNICEF’s Passport to Learning and Passport to Earning programs, which have trained 14 million individuals in 47 countries

Topics

Development | Capacity development | Interdisciplinary approaches

Unexpected consensus

Human-centered approach to AI development

Speakers

– Naria Santa Lucia

Arguments

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and organization to achieve more, focusing on building machines that help people become smarter rather than replacing them

The company is committed to advancing AI by putting people first, asking whether they’re building technology to replace people or help them thrive

Explanation

While only one speaker presented, the unexpected consensus lies in Microsoft’s clear positioning away from AI replacement narratives toward human empowerment, which represents a significant corporate stance that could influence industry direction

Topics

Future of work | Human rights principles

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion demonstrates strong alignment on the importance of AI skills development, international partnerships, and human-centered approaches to AI implementation. There is clear consensus on addressing the skills gap and the need for collaborative efforts to ensure inclusive AI adoption.

Consensus level

High level of consensus with significant implications for establishing AI skills development as a priority area requiring coordinated international effort, substantial investment, and partnership-based approaches to ensure no one is left behind in the AI economy transition.

Different viewpoints

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

No disagreements identified in the transcript

Disagreement level

Zero disagreement level – This transcript represents a single presentation by Naria Santa Lucia from Microsoft, followed by a brief transitional comment from LJ Rich. Since there was only one substantive speaker presenting Microsoft’s AI skills initiative without any opposing viewpoints or debate, there are no disagreements to analyze. The absence of disagreement is significant as it indicates this was an informational presentation rather than a debate or discussion format, which limits the ability to assess different perspectives on AI skills development approaches.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers recognize the value of collaborative partnerships and networking in advancing AI and technology initiatives, with emphasis on the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation

Speakers

– Naria Santa Lucia
– LJ Rich

Arguments

The presenter acknowledges the significance of the event and the networking opportunities it provides, drawing parallels to other memorable professional encounters

Microsoft partners with UN agencies including the ITU AI Skills Coalition (50+ organizations) and UNICEF’s Passport to Learning and Passport to Earning programs, which have trained 14 million individuals in 47 countries

Topics

Development | Capacity development | Interdisciplinary approaches

Key takeaways

Microsoft is repositioning its AI strategy around human empowerment rather than replacement, asking whether they’re building machines to help people become smarter and pursue better jobs

Microsoft Elevate represents a $4 billion commitment over five years to donate cash and technology to schools and nonprofits, integrating philanthropic efforts with business operations

There is an urgent skills gap crisis with 70% of job skills changing by 2030 and 75% of young people in 92+ countries lacking necessary AI economy skills

Credentialing is crucial – Microsoft emphasizes providing verifiable AI credentials rather than just brief training sessions to help learners demonstrate their skills to employers

Strategic partnerships with UN agencies and other organizations are essential for global reach and local trust, with proven success in training 14 million people across 47 countries

The AI Skills Coalition through ITU provides a multisectoral platform for organizations to collaborate on AI skills development

Resolutions and action items

Microsoft commits to training 20 million people in AI skills over the next two years through Microsoft Elevate Academy

Kevin Frey from Generation Unlimited committed to delivering 4 million credentials as part of the 20 million target

Call to action for organizations to join the ITU AI Skills Coalition if they haven’t already

Microsoft will continue investing in existing partnerships including UNICEF’s Passport to Learning/Earning programs and ILO’s Women in Digital Business Program

Invitation for new partnerships with organizations that have content, networks, funding, or commitment to AI skills development

Unresolved issues

How to bridge the gap between the 76% of education leaders who view AI literacy as essential and the only 10% of schools providing AI guidance

Specific strategies for reaching underserved populations in low- and middle-income countries beyond current partnership models

How to ensure the quality and standardization of AI credentials across different programs and platforms

Scalability challenges in moving from current training numbers to the ambitious 20 million target in two years

Suggested compromises

None identified

We’re asking ourselves, are we trying to build machines that are smarter than people, or machines that will help people become smarter? We’re also asking ourselves, are we trying to build machines that will outperform people in their jobs, or machines that will help people pursue better jobs?

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Reason

This comment reframes the entire AI development paradigm by presenting two fundamental philosophical choices that shape how we approach AI technology. It moves beyond technical capabilities to examine the underlying intentions and values driving AI development, challenging the audience to consider whether AI should be competitive with humans or collaborative.

Impact

This comment established the foundational framework for the entire presentation. It shifted the discussion from typical AI capability showcasing to a human-centered approach, setting up the rationale for Microsoft’s philanthropic pivot and their focus on skills development rather than replacement technology.

70% of skills used in most jobs right now will change by 2030… yet 75% of young people in more than 92 countries, and especially in those countries that are low- or middle-income… fall short of having the skills needed to secure the jobs that are going to be good jobs in the AI economy.

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Reason

This statistic pairing creates a compelling urgency by juxtaposing the rapid pace of change with the current skills gap, particularly highlighting global inequality. It transforms the AI skills discussion from a general concern to a specific, measurable crisis with clear geographic and demographic dimensions.

Impact

This data-driven insight provided concrete justification for Microsoft’s $4 billion investment and 20 million person training goal. It elevated the conversation from corporate social responsibility to addressing a quantified global emergency, making the scale of their response seem proportionate and necessary.

76% of global education leaders view AI literacy as an essential skill, but only 10% of schools and universities are providing guidance to AI educators.

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Reason

This stark contrast reveals a critical implementation gap in the education system. It’s insightful because it identifies that awareness exists at leadership levels, but there’s a massive execution failure, suggesting systemic rather than awareness-based problems.

Impact

This comment shifted the focus from general skills training to specifically addressing institutional capacity building. It justified why Microsoft’s approach needed to include educator training and institutional partnerships, not just direct learner engagement, fundamentally shaping their strategy presentation.

It’s very easy just to train people for a few hours or a few moments… But even more important is to make sure our learners have an ability to test the learning that they’ve developed, and then have a signal, a credential, to show the world.

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Reason

This comment challenges the prevailing trend of bite-sized, superficial AI training by emphasizing the importance of credentialing and verification. It introduces a quality-over-quantity approach that considers the economic value and career impact for learners.

Impact

This insight differentiated Microsoft’s approach from typical corporate training initiatives, positioning their program as more substantial and career-focused. It added depth to their commitment by emphasizing measurable outcomes and economic mobility rather than just exposure to AI concepts.

Overall assessment

The key comments shaped this presentation into a philosophical and strategic manifesto rather than a typical corporate announcement. Santa Lucia’s opening questions about human-AI relationships established a values-based framework that influenced how every subsequent initiative was presented. The statistical insights about skills gaps and educational implementation failures created urgency and justified the scale of Microsoft’s response. The emphasis on credentialing over casual training elevated the discussion to focus on economic empowerment and career advancement. Together, these comments transformed what could have been a standard corporate philanthropy announcement into a comprehensive response to identified global challenges, positioning Microsoft as addressing systemic issues rather than simply promoting their technology.

Are we trying to build machines that are smarter than people, or machines that will help people become smarter?

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Explanation

This fundamental question about AI development philosophy is central to Microsoft’s approach and requires ongoing consideration as AI technology advances

Are we trying to build machines that will outperform people in their jobs, or machines that will help people pursue better jobs?

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Explanation

This question addresses the core concern about AI’s impact on employment and workforce development, which is critical for policy and business decisions

How can organizations effectively provide guidance to AI educators when only 10% of schools and universities are currently doing so?

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Explanation

This represents a significant gap between the recognized need for AI literacy (76% of education leaders view it as essential) and actual implementation, requiring research into barriers and solutions

What are the most effective methods for ensuring AI credentials and micro-credentials are recognized and valued by employers?

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Explanation

While Microsoft emphasizes the importance of credentials beyond just training, the effectiveness and employer recognition of these credentials needs further investigation

How can low-connectivity regions be better served with AI skills training given the digital divide?

Speaker

Naria Santa Lucia

Explanation

The mention of platforms designed for low connectivity suggests this remains an ongoing challenge requiring innovative solutions and further research