25 leading organisations

The UN AI for Good AI Skills Coalition, launched by the United Nations, International Telecommunications Union (ITU) during the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, brings together over 25 leading organisations, including equitably.ai and leaders like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, Swiss Sustainable Finance, United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR) and the Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHPR). The coalition’s mission is to provide open and accessible AI training, focusing on generative AI, machine learning, and the application of AI for sustainable development.

Unequal AI skills shortage

In the UK, the UK prime minister recently announced the UK AI action plan that calls for Britain to become one of the great AI superpowers. UK is already No. 1 in Europe for AI investment, yet a significant, unequal AI skills shortage poses challenges for organisations aiming to implement AI. A recent study by Confluent highlighted that 68% of UK IT leaders identify insufficient skills and expertise as primary obstacles to AI adoption. Similarly, in Australia, where we do work, a survey by Qualtrics showed that 60% of the workforce will have their jobs significantly impacted by AI technologies yet only 35% felt they received the needed training and enablement.

equitably.ai is committed to working with its partners to address these challenges.

“2025 will be a pivotal year when we expect AI to have wider-reaching effects. The equitably.ai brand stands for more equitable access to AI. We are privileged to collaborate with the UN AI for Good, ITU and fellow coalition partners in the AI Skills Coalition to progress action through this vital initiative at such a critical time” said John Paul Danaee, co-founder of equitably.ai. He also shared, “this initiative has particular personal meaning and drive for me as a member of the Third Order Society of St. Francis, whose aims include equality and are connected with Franciscans International, who are formally recognised by and work with the UN on human rights.”

The AI Skills Coalition will provide learning that can strengthen skills for the future and address global inequalities in AI knowledge and access. As part of the initiative, ITU will work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to leverage UNDP’s presence in over 170 countries and territories to deliver AI capacity development directly to partner countries. The initiative is also designed to support underrepresented and marginalised groups in AI and equitably.ai are in discussions with these groups to support them through the AI Skills Coalition, not just with enhancing their learning but also providing them with the coaching necessary to be a strong asset upon entering the workforce. These younger generations can enter as leaders in AI.

For the full UN ITU press release see here.

To learn more about our course: AI for International Market Expansion: Expand with Confidence & Efficiency, part of the AI Skills Coalition, click below button.

About ITU:

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 194 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, it is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of many communications systems. From broadband networks to oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring. ITU is committed to connecting the world. Learn more: http://www.itu.int

About AI for Good:

Organized by ITU in partnership with over 40 UN Sister Agencies and co-convened with the Government of Switzerland, the goal of AI for Good is to identify trustworthy AI applications, build skills and standards, and advance governance for sustainable development. The landmark AI for Good Global Summit 2017 marked the beginning of a global movement to use AI as a force for good. The action-oriented 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 summits gave rise to numerous AI for Good projects including several ITU “pre-standardization” initiatives advancing the standardization requirements for high-potential AI use cases. Registration is open for the upcoming AI for Good Global Summit 2025 happening from 8-11 July. With an expected 10,000+ in-person participants and online participation from the over 35,000 members of the AI-powered community platform, the AI for Good Neural Network, this is the UN’s largest and most inclusive AI solutions and matchmaking event. For more information, visit: https://aiforgood.itu.int/.​

About equitably.ai:

equitably.ai is an AI professional services company founded in London’s Tech City, at City, University of London. It is part of Engine, the Investment Association’s FinTech hub in the UK. It specialises in providing practical AI learning, AI pilots, and AI consulting to the investment management and international trade sectors by partnering with industry and professional bodies, governments and NGOs. The equitably.ai brand stands for and promotes more equitable access to the power of AI. It has published AI principles and is committed to investing in AI learning for all. It also supports AI deployments for clients, leveraging its joint venture entity, AI First Trading, and partners like the Institute for Creativity and AI, to invest in the effective use of AI by companies for international market expansion. Learn more: https://equitably.ai/ and https://aifirsttrading.com/