AI ethics courses, from free principles to governance work
An AI ethics course teaches how principles such as fairness, accountability and transparency apply when people build or use AI.
Courses
36 courses
Free to take
17 courses
Curated by Jake BolandChecked against the issuers' and providers' pages, Oct 3, 2026 to Oct 26, 2026How I verify
The University of Helsinki's Ethics of AI is free, with a free certificate on passing.
What does an AI ethics course cover?
The University of Helsinki's Ethics of AI works through non-maleficence, accountability, transparency and explainability, human rights and fairness, with practical exercises. It is beginner level. Through the University of Helsinki's Open University it can also count for 2 ECTS, a European university credit.
Workplace courses are narrower. OpenAI's Responsible use of ChatGPT at work is a free guide, with no certificate, for staff whose employer is rolling out ChatGPT Business or Enterprise: following company AI policy, checking facts, spotting bias, getting expert review and disclosing AI use.
Which AI ethics course should you take first?
If you use AI tools every day, take Anthropic's AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations. It is free and beginner level, its theme is using AI ethically and safely as well as effectively, and passing its final assessment earns a free certificate. If you want the reasoning behind AI rules, take Ethics of AI. Neither Anthropic nor the University of Helsinki states how long its course takes.
For a stated length, Andrew Ng's AI For Everyone takes 7 hours and includes the ethical questions AI raises in an organization. Enrollment is free; the shareable certificate is paid.
Which courses cover AI governance at work?
Cybersuite's Secure AI Adoption for SMEs: Cybersecurity and the EU AI Act follows a fictional small company as it classifies AI risk, assigns governance and keeps compliance evidence. It is free, intermediate and about 15 hours, with a free certificate. It is built on the EU AI Act, so it is most useful if your organization operates or sells in the EU.
Microsoft's Drive AI transformation in your organization is a "1 day" course for directors, VPs and executives that includes championing responsible AI. It needs no technical background, and the three self-paced learning paths are free.
The AWS AI Business Strategist Learning Plan takes 14 hours 30 minutes and covers governance, responsible AI and human oversight for people who work between executives and technical teams. AWS doesn't state a price.
Which AI governance certifications can you take?
Each is a paid exam, and members of the issuing body pay less.
If you audit AI systems, the ISACA audit exam is named for that work; if you assess risk, the risk exam is.
More responsible AI and ethics courses
Recommended order: courses mainly about Responsible AI and ethics first, then open now, wide audience, beginner level and lower cost. The 7 courses shown above are not repeated here unless you filter or search. How we order courses.