Microsoft is launching Microsoft Elevate and the AI Economy Institute to ensure that, as AI transforms the world, people are equipped with the skills and tools to thrive. This initiative focuses on “putting people first” as AI becomes increasingly personal for students, teachers, and business owners.
Microsoft Elevate consolidates and expands the company’s technology support, donations, and sales for schools, community colleges, and nonprofits, building on the work of Microsoft Philanthropies and the Tech for Social Impact team. Microsoft is committing to donate over $4 billion in cash and AI/cloud technology to K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofits globally over the next five years.
Through the Microsoft Elevate Academy, the company aims to help 20 million people earn an in-demand AI-skilling credential within the next two years, ranging from foundational fluency to advanced technical training. This will involve collaboration with LinkedIn and GitHub, as well as advocating for public policies that advance AI education globally. Microsoft will partner with governments and organizations like Code.org (for a new “Hour of AI”) and the American Federation of Teachers (for AI training for union members and educators) to build essential AI-skilling infrastructure.
Microsoft acknowledges that AI’s rapid advancement necessitates asking critical questions about its societal impact. The company emphasizes building AI to elevate humanity, not replace it, ensuring technology empowers creativity and knowledge without deepening divides, as seen with past technologies like electricity and social media.
This initiative is part of a broader commitment to help people shape the future of work. Microsoft believes work provides identity and purpose, and AI should be used thoughtfully to enhance human judgment, empathy, and care, rather than diminish them. Success will depend on partnerships with governments, educators, labor unions, employers, and community leaders to ensure AI reflects human values.
To support this work with deeper research and policy insights, the Microsoft AI Economy Institute has been established. This new corporate think tank, housed within the AI for Good Lab, will bridge the gap between technological innovation and societal impact. It will sponsor and convene researchers to explore AI’s effects on work, education, and productivity, translating these insights into real-world solutions and informing Microsoft’s strategy and public policy engagement. The Institute’s academic research, already underway with global universities, will directly inform Microsoft Elevate’s skilling programs and policy frameworks.
Building on 50 years of experience in making technology accessible and equipping people with skills, Microsoft Elevate represents an investment in people, institutions, and ideas to ensure AI serves everyone, elevating the humanity of work.
