Welcome to this online course, offered by DiploFoundation as part of the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) training programme 2026–2027, which strengthens the ability of CSOs – especially in the Global South – to engage effectively in digital policy processes.
This course focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing role in shaping governance, rights, and development. For CSOs, AI presents both opportunities and challenges: it can be a tool for advocacy and empowerment, but it can also entrench inequalities and concentrate power. To engage meaningfully, CSOs need to understand AI policy debates, follow how decisions are made at national, regional, and global levels, and explore practical ways to use AI tools in their own work.
The methodology for this course is based on Diplo’s AI Apprenticeship methodology.
In this course, over four modules, you will examine the foundations of AI policy, explore risks and governance frameworks, follow how AI emerges in global and regional processes, and experiment with building your own policy-focused chatbot. Each module combines policy study with practical application: You will study concepts, discuss them in Zoom sessions, and then apply them through assignments using Diplo’s MyDepartment.ai. By the end of the course, you will have a solid understanding of AI policy and a practical AI tool you can adapt for your digital policy work.