Microsoft and GitHub add free AI and data science courses to GitHub Skills

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Microsoft and GitHub have expanded the GitHub Skills platform to include free courses on artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning, areas previously absent from its catalogue. The platform, which replaced GitHub Learning Lab, teaches through real repositories where students complete guided exercises triggered by GitHub Actions workflows. Access requires only a free GitHub account, with no credit card or trial period needed, and courses can be completed in the browser via GitHub Codespaces or locally. The new AI-focused content covers practical topics such as prompt writing, using GitHub Copilot, and basic Python data workflows, though it does not constitute a formal professional certification. The expansion aligns with Microsoft's broader push for free AI education through Microsoft Learn, bringing similar training directly into the GitHub environment where developers already work.

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