UNESCO and LG AI Research launch a global MOOC on the ethics of AI
UNESCO and LG AI Research launched the free MOOC “Empowering Minds: Transforming Lives” on Coursera on July 20, 2026, with 10 modules on the ethics of AI.
Photo by Armin Rimoldi on Pexels
UNESCO and LG AI Research launched “Empowering Minds: Transforming Lives”, a free global AI ethics course, on July 20, 2026 in Seoul. The massive open online course (MOOC) is hosted on Coursera, comprises 10 modules, and is open to learners worldwide, with certification available on completion. The launch took place at the “Ethics by Design: Industry and Innovation Conference” at the premises of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO announced.
The course is delivered primarily in English, with translation options in 11 languages. It is grounded in the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, adopted unanimously by UNESCO’s 193 Member States in 2021 as the first global normative instrument on AI ethics.
What the AI ethics course covers
The AI ethics course offers more than 8 hours of self-paced learning through video lessons, quizzes and interactive exercises, according to UNESCO’s course page. The 10 modules are organised in three learning tracks and cover fairness and inclusion, privacy and data governance, transparency and accountability, safety and security, environmental sustainability, and global AI governance. Most modules follow a four-part video format: Introduction, Application, Deep Dive, and Best Practices and Tools.
Module leads include Dr Atoosa Kasirzadeh (Carnegie Mellon University), Dr Urs Gasser (Technical University of Munich), Dr David Leslie (The Alan Turing Institute) and Dr Johann Laux (Oxford Internet Institute). The course targets technologists, practitioners, researchers, students and policymakers with a basic knowledge of AI. Learners who complete it receive a UNESCO – LG AI Research Certificate of Completion.
| Course element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | “Empowering Minds: Transforming Lives” |
| Format | Free MOOC on Coursera |
| Modules | 10, across 3 learning tracks |
| Length | Over 8 hours of self-paced learning |
| Languages | English, with translation options in 11 languages |
| Certification | UNESCO – LG AI Research Certificate of Completion |
| Launch | July 20, 2026, Seoul |
Source: UNESCO announcement and course page, July 2026.
A launch tied to industry practice in Seoul
The launch event brought together Prof. Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO; Dr Kyung Hoon Bae, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea; Dr Woohyung Lim, President of LG AI Research; and Ms Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. “Principles alone do not build ethical AI, people do,” El-Enany stated at the event.
Bae described the course as “a global public good that enables people across borders and generations to learn about and practice AI ethics”. Lim stated: “The real work is to carry ethics through the entire lifecycle – from product development to service operation.” Two panels followed the launch, with speakers from LG AI Research, Kakao, Naver, the Korea AI Safety Institute, the University of Toronto and the UN University Institute in Macau, among others.
From the 2021 Recommendation to a public course
The MOOC operationalises the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which all 193 Member States adopted in November 2021. UNESCO and LG AI Research signed the partnership to develop the course on May 22, 2024 in Seoul, during the AI Seoul Summit, LG AI Research reported at the time.
The launch adds a free, certificate-bearing option to a growing set of international AI literacy initiatives. In 2025, the OECD and EU launched an AI literacy framework for schools, aimed at primary and secondary education, while the new MOOC targets adult learners and professionals. Educators looking for classroom-level applications can also draw on established best practices for using AI in the classroom.
About UNESCO
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was founded in 1945 and works to build peace through international cooperation in education, the sciences and culture. In November 2021, its 193 Member States unanimously adopted the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the first global standard-setting instrument on the subject. UNESCO followed with its “Guidance for generative AI in education and research” in September 2023 and AI competency frameworks for students and teachers in 2024. The MOOC “Empowering Minds: Transforming Lives”, launched with LG AI Research on July 20, 2026, turns that normative work into a free global training course.
Sources: UNESCO; UNESCO; LG AI Research
Featured image: photo by Armin Rimoldi on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
