Prudential offers machine learning training for all 1,200 employees

All 1,200 employees of insurer Prudential Singapore will be able to learn how to better use data in their daily work through a new online certification programme. More than 170 staff have signed up for the free course in machine learning since it launched on Feb 1, said Prudential yesterday. Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on developing computer programmes that can learn from new data so as to perform tasks without needing explicit instructions from humans. Participants will be trained by data scientists from the public and private sectors, and will take scenario-based assessments to show that they can apply what they have learnt. The 30-hour course is called Machine Learning for Humans and follows a foundational course called AI in Finance, which was taken by over 200 Prudential staff last year.