Google Europe, Middle East, and Africa President Matt Brittin announced that the company is working with EU governments, civil society, academics, and businesses to find the right path to land AI technology safely and for everyone. And the company is launching the AI Opportunity Initiative for Europe, which would help provide training and skills to support people and countries to succeed in seizing the AI opportunity.
Europe could lead the way in harnessing AI to create a solid and equitable economy with more productive industries, meaningful work and many new kinds of jobs. In 2015, Google launched “Grow with Google” — which offers free training to help address the EU’s digital skills gap. And the company was blown away by demand. In the years since, Google has 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 went on to grow their careers, start new businesses or get a new job using what they learned.
The new AI Opportunity Initiative for Europe includes AI training and skills for vulnerable communities. And as part of the AI Opportunity Initiative for Europe, Google announced €25 million funding from Google.org to support AI training and skills for people across Europe with a particular focus on vulnerable and underserved communities. And Google will start by dedicating €10 million of this to equipping workers with the skills they need to avoid being left behind.
The AI Opportunity Fund: Europe – in partnership with the Centre for Public Impact – is seeking applications from social enterprises and nonprofits who can help us reach those people most likely to benefit from this training. And selected organizations will receive facilitated training on foundational AI in local languages delivered directly to the workers in their communities and cash grants for critical wraparound support like childcare or compensation for pay.
As the final part of the AI Opportunity Initiative, Google is expanding the AI foundational courses to 18 languages. And the courses are free of charge and available to everyone, offering a series of modules on introductory AI skills to help people and businesses get practical skills and knowledge.
Plus, Google will be adding more resources to our existing Google Career Certificates program, which are three to six months in length and provide a professional certificate, to help learners discover how professionals in their fields are using AI, while gaining hands-on experience applying AI to workplace scenarios.
KEY QUOTES:
“AI has enormous potential to transform the world for the better. Yet research shows that the benefits of AI could exacerbate existing inequalities — especially in terms of economic security and employment. This new program will help people across Europe develop their knowledge, skills and confidence around AI, ensuring that no one is left behind.”
- Adrian Brown, Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
“Our AI Opportunity Initiative also includes a new series of Google for Startups Growth Academies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The equity-free program is to support startups using AI to solve society’s biggest challenges, in health, education and cybersecurity. It helps startups to grow their user numbers, scale and go global with help from Google’s products, best practices and connections to experts. We are open for applications for the Growth Academy: AI for Health now.”
- Matt Brittin
