O’Reilly launches AI Academy to accelerate GenAI skills development

O’Reilly has launched the O’Reilly AI Academy, a new offering that provides access to hundreds of generative AI-focused books, live events, on-demand courses, and more to enable enterprise workforces to build the necessary skills to put GenAI tools to work and improve productivity. The latest feature will be available to current subscribers who have full access to the O’Reilly online learning platform and will also be offered as a standalone subscription for all organisations interested in upskilling their workforces on the new technology.

Over the past year, generative AI and its capabilities have taken the world by storm, with 85% of C-suite executives worldwide reporting plans to increase their spending on AI and GenAI in 2024, according to a recent survey from BCG. However, an overwhelming majority of workers have yet to integrate this new technology into their skill sets. Despite most leaders agreeing that their workforces will need to be reskilled in GenAI over the next three years, only 10% of workers are currently trained on GenAI tools—and nearly 60% of leaders have expressed limited confidence in their own executive teams’ proficiency in GenAI.

Recognising the need for increased training around this revolutionary technology, O’Reilly designed its latest offering to facilitate GenAI upskilling across the entire organisation. The O’Reilly AI Academy provides tailored learning tracks to ensure that every individual and team within an organisation acquires the necessary skills for building a strong foundation in generative AI. One of the primary learning tracks, GenAI Essentials for Everyone, focuses on a comprehensive range of skills including prompting fundamentals and enhancing productivity. Additional tracks currently available include GenAI for Executives & Leaders and GenAI for Project Management, and role-specific tracks for HR, business analysts, product managers, and more are scheduled to be added in the coming months.

The learning tracks available in the O’Reilly AI Academy are supported by an additional 300 pieces of content tailored by role and industry to cater to teams across security, data, finance, marketing, and project management and within sectors like government and healthcare. These include everything from books and audiobooks to live and on-demand courses, short-form text, and video, so team members can focus on exactly what they need to know, in the way they learn best.

“New tools leveraging GenAI are coming into the market everyday to support teams from marketing and sales to finance and HR, all focused on helping to improve productivity. But to reap the full benefits of GenAI, everyone in your organisation needs to be proficient with the technology, including less-technical teams,” said Laura Baldwin, president of O’Reilly. “With the launch of the O’Reilly AI Academy, we aim to enhance every worker’s understanding of how to leverage GenAI, empowering them to improve their own problem-solving, decision-making, and adaptability to drive business outcomes in an increasingly AI-driven world.”

Learners who successfully finish O’Reilly AI Academy learning tracks have the opportunity to earn completion badges and certificates to promote their GenAI skills. The badges can be embedded in email, across social media, on LinkedIn, and more.