Helsinki University in Finland has launched a course on artificial intelligence -- one that's completely free and open to everyone around the world. Unlike Carnegie Mellon's new undergrad degree in AI, which the institution created to train future experts in the field, Helsinki's offering is more of a beginner course for those who want to know more about it. A lot of tech giants like Google now have divisions working on artificial intelligence projects, and even whole non-tech industries already depend on AI for various tasks. But as Janina Fagerlund from the university's project partner (tech strategy firm Reaktor) said, people might not know that their lives are already affected by AI every day. Fagerlund mentioned the use of AI in the food industry to sort produce and other items at facilities as an example.

Helsinki University and tech strategy firm Reaktor say they want to make Finland the world's most educated country in the field of artificial intelligence. The academic and business partners say they want Finland to become forerunners in AI, and have developed an online course covering the quickly-growing technology open to anyone, free of charge. "The Elements of Artificial Intelligence" online course is entirely in English and offered to people who are interested in learning more about AI. User interface designer at Reaktor Janina Fagerlund says people might not know it, bu their lives are already affected - one way or another - by AI every single day. As a perhaps unexpected example, Fagerlund says that AI is used in industrial food production to sort produce and other items at food processing facilities.