Global AI Initiative Database

Austria has established a Digital Competencies Initiative (Digitale Kompetenzoffensive) as an intersectional cooperation between 4 federal ministries. The initiative focuses on the development and coordination of measures for digital literacy and skills. Under the umbrella of the initiative, the Digital Competencies and Skills strategy outlines how Austria is going to achieve more digital competencies among the citizens. Measures around AI are a major priority in the strategy.

Accordingly, a specific strategy for AI literacy and skills is currently in development and has successfully kicked off with an expert event in the beginning of July 2024. Following the explicit goals and principles of the general national digital literacy and skills strategy and the national AI strategy, the AI literacy and skills strategy will focus on the inclusion of population groups with low levels of digital literacy, like the elderly and rural population, and gender diversity for AI skills, with the aim to broaden the national IT expert's pool.

A number of AI workshops are already offered for free across the country as part of the general “Digital Everywhere”. AI will also be a major focus for the building-up programme “Digital Everywhere PLUS” with modular workshops, online learning, train-the-trainer concepts and other innovative teaching methods.

Currently, an AI competences consultation with experts from the AI Board, the national interest groups, scientific experts in education, adult education experts and other important stakeholder groups is in progress. The results will inform the further development of the programme and flow into a white paper on AI competences as a backbone of the programme. In parallel, a scientific working group for the definition of a basic curriculum on AI has kicked off to make sure that AI courses are meeting the criteria of critical AI literacy of the population.