Google Pledges €25 Million to Boost AI Skills and Training in Europe

Google has announced a substantial investment of 25 million euros (approximately $26.9 million) to advance artificial intelligence (AI) education and training across Europe.  

According to PC magazine, this initiative is designed to empower the European workforce, particularly targeting those who are vulnerable and underserved, by providing them with the necessary AI skills to thrive in an increasingly automated economy. 

An official blog post published by Google states that funding will be directed towards expanding language options for its complimentary AI courses and broadening the scope of the Google Career Certificates program to encompass additional AI-related content.  

“Back in 2015, we launched ‘Grow with Google’ — offering free training to help address the EU’s digital skills gap. We were blown away by demand,” Matt Brittin, the president of Google Europe, Middle East and Africa wrote in the blog post. “In the years since, we’ve trained over 12 million people across Europe in digital skills — in partnership with governments, small business associations, trade unions, NGOs and local communities. Many of the people trained have gone on to grow their careers, start new businesses or get a new job using what they learned.” 

Much like Microsoft’s recent investment into AI skills training in India, Google’s initiative is designed to help workers remain competitive as the employment landscape transforms with advancements in AI tools. 

According to PC Mag’s report, Google pledged to assist nonprofits and various organizations across the EU-27 — excluding those based in the U.K.  

The call for applications for this funding is anticipated to open later this year.