Google to invest $120 million in AI education programs
SAN FRANCISCO, January 27, 2025: Alphabet’s Google, already facing an unprecedented regulatory onslaught, is looking to shape public perception and policies on artificial intelligence ahead of a global wave of AI regulation.
A key priority, one executive told Reuters, comes in building out educational programs to train the workforce on AI.
“Getting more people and organizations, including governments, familiar with AI and using AI tools, makes for better AI policy and opens up new opportunities – it’s a virtuous cycle,” said Kent Walker, Alphabet’s president of global affairs.
As Google races to best Big Tech rivals including Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Meta in the AI arena, it is mindful of the heavy regulatory scrutiny it faces in its existing businesses in advertising and search. In the European Union, Google has offered to sell a part of its ad tech business to appease regulators, Reuters reported. In the U.S., the Justice Department is attempting to force a breakup of its Chrome Web browser — though it may shift course under the administration of President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, governments globally are drafting new regulations on issues that could be exacerbated by AI, such as copyright and privacy.
The EU AI Act, which seeks to assess risk and require disclosures from general-purpose AI systems, has received pushback from tech giants that could find themselves in the crosshairs of multibillion-dollar fines. The DOJ has also sought to curtail Google’s advances in AI as a remedy in a federal case that found its search business to be an illegal monopoly.
Google executives see an opportunity to shape the narrative around a technology that has stoked emerging fears of mass job loss. CEO Sundar Pichai announced in September a $120 million investment fund to build AI education programs. Deputies including Walker and Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer, are increasingly traveling globally to discuss policy recommendations with governments.
“There’s a lot of upside in terms of helping people who may be displaced by this. We do want to focus on that,” Walker said. Efforts include expanding Grow with Google, a combination online and in-person program that provides training tools for businesses and teaches workers skills like data analysis or IT support that are meant to expand their career prospects in technical fields.
In December, the company said 1 million people had obtained a certificate for the program. It is adding specialized courses related to AI, such as one geared toward teachers, said program head Lisa Gevelber.
Courses alone are not enough to prepare workers, Walker said. “What really matters is if you have some sort of objective that people are working towards, like a credential that people can use to apply for a job.”
Google wants to increase experimentation on public-private partnerships, he said. The leading example so far, he said, is the “Skilled Trades and Readiness” program, in which the company has partnered with community colleges to train workers for potential jobs constructing data centers. Google is incorporating AI education into the program, he said.
“Ultimately, the federal government will look and see which proofs of concept are playing out – which of the green shoots are taking root,” Walker said. “If we can help fertilize that effort, that’s our role.”
In the long term, Walker said he expects a small fraction of existing jobs to be entirely displaced by AI, citing several studies commissioned by Google, Goldman Sachs and McKinsey. Those studies suggest AI will be incorporated into most jobs in some capacity.
As part of Google’s efforts to prepare for this shift, it hired economist David Autor as a visiting fellow to study the impacts of AI on the workforce. Autor said in an interview that AI could be used to create more immersive training programs, akin to flight simulators.
“The history of adult retraining is not particularly glorious,” he said. “Adults don’t want to go back to class. Classroom training is not going to be the solution to a lot of retraining.” (Reporting by Kenrick Cai in San Francisco; Editing by Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis and Christian Schmollinger)
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
