Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) has pledged €25 million ($26.8 million) to train Europeans on artificial intelligence (AI) and invest in AI startups.
Under its AI Opportunity Initiative for Europe, the California-based tech giant will provide foundational and advanced AI training, equipping workers with the skills needed to succeed in the AI era.
Google will channel €10 million ($10.7 million) toward training and upskilling, focusing on underserved and vulnerable communities. The company will partner with nonprofits and social enterprises to reach those who need the training most. Google has expanded its AI foundational courses to 18 languages to reach more people.
The initiative will also support AI startups across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East under the Google for Startups Growth Academies. The equity-free program will focus on startups using AI to solve cybersecurity, education, and health challenges.
While not everyone who benefits from the program will become an AI researcher, it will spark widespread adoption of the technology, Matt Brittin, Google’s president for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, told Fortune.
“You need three things: You need to have clear rules of the road. You need people with the skills to work on it. And you need the companies to seize the opportunity,” he added.
One of Google’s partners in the initiative is the Centre for Public Impact, a London-based organization that partners with governments and private entities on learning initiatives.
Commenting on the partnership, Adrian Brown, the Executive Director at the Centre, noted that while AI can transform society, research shows it can also exacerbate existing inequalities.
“This new program will help people across Europe develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence around AI, ensuring that no one is left behind,” he stated.
As the world has marched on with AI, Europe has lagged behind the West, where the U.S. is leading the world in innovation, and the East, where Asian nations are building localized solutions and competing with the U.S. Initiatives like Google’s and national efforts like
Italy’s, coupled with world-leading regulatory frameworks like the EU AI Act, can enable the region to catch up.
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