The Responsible AI for SMEs short course, developed by the BRAID programme, has been created for thoughtful business leaders who want to better understand how AI is already shaping the workplace and how to approach it in a responsible, grounded way.
About the course
Everywhere you go, people are talking about AI, but the stories they tell are increasingly contradictory. UK businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), need a way to cut though this noise and the increasingly mixed messages about what AI can or cannot offer them. They need the confidence to decide whether their business can benefit from adopting AI tools, and which types of AI might be a good fit for their needs. And for the businesses that do choose to deploy AI, they need to learn how to implement these technologies responsibly, without harming the customers, clients, communities and employees they depend on.
Responsible AI for SMEs helps businesses answer the increasingly pressing question: ‘Should I be using AI in my business, and if so, how can I do so in a way that is responsible and trustworthy?’ Designed by academic experts at the University of Edinburgh, Responsible AI for SMEs integrates insights and real-world experiences from UK SME business owners and responsible-AI leaders across industry and civil society.
The course covers a range of topics over five self-paced five-modules, including:
- An introduction to responsible-AI benefits and principles for trustworthy use
- An overview of the business risks, advantages and limitations of different AI tools
- Unique perspectives and lessons from UK SME leaders in responsible AI
- A roadmap to implementing responsible AI by design, with FAQ and links to helpful resources
- Reflective activities and dialogues on responsible AI with other SME learners
On completion of the course, learners will have developed their understanding of Responsible AI. They will become aware of the best practices for Responsible AI innovation and learn from other SMEs who have made use AI. They will be familiar with policy and regulations relevant to AI adoption. Critically, learners will know the questions to ask when seeking to use a proprietary or open-source AI system and be aware of hidden issues and harms that can occur with such use.
The Responsible AI course has provided me with really good foundational knowledge about how SMEs should be thinking about AI in a responsible context. There was a good balance of theory/content alongside voices from industry and SME experts. It has help me to generate a lot of thoughts about how I can take this knowledge and use and share it.
Course Participant, February 2026
Who the course is for
This course is for anyone in a SME, Micro or Start-up looking to use AI Systems, methods and approaches for the first time in their business. It can also support those business who are already using AI to reflect critically on their current approach to AI adoption. Even businesses without any current plans to deploy AI can benefit greatly from learning more about it, particularly as research shows that many employees are already using AI at work without their employers’ knowledge or permission, and without any oversight or responsible guidance. The course is also ideal for anyone keen to better understand challenges with AI governance.
Alan Warburton / https://betterimagesofai.org / © BBC / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Key information:
Enrol now: Responsible AI Innovation for SMEs
The course is available on Coursera and edX. Coursera allows you to preview the first module for free – you can choose this option when you enrol or pay for the full course.
edX allows you to access the whole course for free – if you want to gain a certificate you can choose to pay for the course.
Learners can also apply for Financial Aid directly with Coursera to assist with the cost of accessing the full course and gaining a certificate for completing the course.
