Coursera’s Responsible AI Principles – Coursera Blog

By Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the transformative force of our era, reshaping industries and redefining the boundaries of human potential. It is also raising new questions about the best way to build these powerful systems that serve humanity in safe and uplifting ways. 

Coursera, founded by two Stanford Computer Science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, has been a leader in providing AI and machine learning education to learners worldwide for more than a decade. However, the emergence of generative AI brings new opportunities and unforeseen challenges. With the potential to transform the way we learn and teach, it is essential to ensure that AI is developed and deployed responsibly and ethically.  

 Today, we’re introducing Coursera’s responsible AI principles, which will guide the development and implementation of AI systems on our platform.

We use AI to support individuals with personalized and interactive learning, help instructors generate and update high-quality content more quickly and affordably, and enable institutions to implement large-scale reskilling efforts and transition workers to jobs of the future.  

We implement rigorous security measures and techniques to protect user information and ensure a safe learning environment. We continuously monitor and update our security practices to stay ahead of potential threats and safeguard our users’ trust.

We work diligently to identify and mitigate biases in our AI algorithms, actively engaging with diverse stakeholders to improve fairness in our systems. Moreover, we respect the intellectual property rights of content creators and institutional brands, recognizing their essential role in providing high-quality educational resources.

We provide clear explanations about our AI technologies and their limitations, ensuring that users, customers, and partners better understand our AI systems.

We’re committed to monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of our AI technologies, addressing any unintended consequences, and continually refining our systems to improve their performance. 

As we embrace the transformative potential of AI in education, we’re committed to developing and deploying AI systems that are firmly rooted in our guiding principles. By putting these principles into action, we aim to create the next generation of AI-powered learning and teaching tools that better equip individuals and institutions to adapt to a changing world.