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Learning AI in Canada

Free online AI courses in Canada

Canada launched a federally funded National AI Literacy Initiative with Amii on 9 September 2026, including a free course for the general public called Essentials for Canadians. It is rolling out in stages: community organisations get first access in December 2026, and open access for everyone has no date yet. Until then, the free LearnWithZavi courses below need no signup and give a free certificate for each course you finish.

Every fact about government schemes on this page is taken from the official page it links to. LearnWithZavi is independent and is not affiliated with the Government of Canada, Amii or any scheme listed here.

Start free with Getting Started with ChatGPT →See government options

Free and funded government options in Canada

Checked against official pages on . Schemes change, so confirm current details on the official page before you apply.

National AI Literacy Initiative (AI for All: Essentials)

Government of Canada, in partnership with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)

  • Announced on 9 September 2026 to provide free, practical AI learning.
  • Essentials for Students is a free, three-hour course offered through participating post-secondary institutions.
  • Essentials for Canadians is a free online course for the general public. A preview is available now.
  • The student course is in both official languages.

Worth knowing: The full public course reaches community partners such as libraries first, in December 2026. Open access for all Canadians has no date yet, and no certificate is mentioned.

Source: Government of Canada news release, 9 September 2026 ↗

Job Bank Training Finder

Employment and Social Development Canada

  • A national search tool for short-term training from recognised institutions across Canada.
  • Has filters for online courses only and free courses only.

Worth knowing: It is a directory, labelled a prototype, not a course. Costs vary by course and institution.

Source: Training Finder on Job Bank ↗

Canada Training Credit

Canada Revenue Agency

  • A refundable tax credit that pays back part of eligible training fees: the lesser of your credit limit or 50% of the fees.
  • The limit grows by CAD 250 each qualifying year, up to CAD 5,000 over your lifetime.
  • For residents of Canada aged at least 26 and under 66 at the end of the year who file a tax return.

Worth knowing: Only fees paid to eligible Canadian institutions count, so it helps with paid courses rather than free ones.

Source: Canada Training Credit on canada.ca ↗

How they fit together: Ask your local library or community organisation whether it is offering Essentials for Canadians from December. Use the Training Finder to find short courses, and the Canada Training Credit if you pay for one at a Canadian institution. Use the courses below to start practising now.

6 free courses to start today, in the order we would take them

No signup, no card and no coding. Each course ends with a free certificate of completion.

Foundations

Getting Started with ChatGPT

Your first hour, properly spent.

A complete beginner's tour: what the screen is showing you, how to ask for things, what the different modes do, what it costs, and the settings worth changing on day one.

Beginner · 6 lessons · ~16 min

Stay Safe

AI Safety, Privacy and Verification

Trust nothing. Check everything.

Spot fakes and scams, work out what is safe to paste into an AI tool, verify what you are told, and set sensible rules for yourself and the people you work with.

Beginner · 6 lessons · ~18 min

Foundations

Prompt Engineering

Talk to robots. Get better answers.

Learn to write prompts that get you exactly what you want from AI, from your first 'hello' to advanced techniques like few-shot examples and chain-of-thought. No coding required, wit strongly encouraged.

Beginner · 12 lessons · ~33 min

AI at Work

AI Productivity at Work

Get your evenings back.

Use AI for the work that eats your week: email, meeting notes, research, reports and planning. Every lesson gives you something you can use the same afternoon, and the course ends with a weekly routine you can actually keep.

Beginner · 6 lessons · ~13 min

Teaching

Responsible AI for Educators

Useful in class. Fair to students.

Where AI genuinely helps teachers, how to make generated lesson plans fit your actual class, how to handle marking and academic integrity fairly, and how to write a classroom policy you can defend to parents and leadership.

Beginner · 6 lessons · ~20 min

Career

Future-Proof Your Career with AI

Less panic. More positioning.

An honest look at what AI is actually replacing and what it is not, which skills genuinely pair well with it, and how to use AI daily without quietly losing the skill that makes you employable.

Beginner · 6 lessons · ~19 min

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Questions from learners in Canada

Is there a free Government of Canada AI course?
Yes, but it is rolling out. The National AI Literacy Initiative with Amii, announced on 9 September 2026, includes a free public course called Essentials for Canadians. A preview is available now, community partners get it in December 2026, and open access for everyone has no date yet.
Can I get money back for a paid AI course in Canada?
Possibly. The Canada Training Credit can pay back up to half of eligible fees paid to Canadian institutions, within your credit limit, if you are a resident aged 26 to 65 who files a tax return. Check the CRA page for the current rules.
Are the LearnWithZavi courses free in Canada?
Yes. Every LearnWithZavi course is free to read in full with no signup and no card, and finishing one lets you print a free certificate of completion or add it to your LinkedIn profile. LearnWithZavi is not accredited, so the certificate records that you completed the lessons rather than acting as a formal qualification.
Are LearnWithZavi courses available in French?
Not yet; they are in English. The government's Essentials courses are offered in English and French.
I am a teacher. Is there something for me?
The national initiative includes an Essentials for Educators stream for K-12 teachers. Responsible AI for Educators below covers practical classroom use, free and at your own pace.

Know someone in Canada who wants to learn AI?

The free government options and free courses in one place, with every scheme linked to its official page.

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