Google Announces $15 Million Funding to Train the Government Workforce in AI

On 16 October 2024, Google.org, Google's charitable arm, unveiled a new $15 million funding initiative to support public sector organisations in learning AI to enhance their services. 

This aligns with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) push for an AI-ready workforce in the country. 

At the Google Public Sector Summit in Washington, D.C., Google.org claimed that the initiative is part of its broader commitment to using technology for social good. 

The funding is split into two grants. 

A $10 million grant would be given to help the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service establish the Center for Federal AI in Spring 2025. Since 2019, the Partnership for Public Service has trained 550 senior federal leaders from over 50 agencies in AI skills. 

The remaining $5 million grant will support InnovateUS, which offers free AI training to public sector workers. They provide self-paced courses, live workshops, and programs, and over 40,000 learners have been trained so far. This initiative aims to strengthen AI skills in state and local governments nationwide.

Beth Simone Noveck, founder of InnovateUS and chief AI strategist for the state of New Jersey said, “For government to work better and be more accessible to the people it serves, our workers must have the opportunity to take advantage of the latest tools and technologies.” 

A report from Deloitte University Press notes that AI holds great potential for improving efficiency and lowering labour costs in the public sector. The report indicated that It could save working hours and potentially reduce the time spent on non-essential tasks by 30% within five to seven years. 

However, it stressed the need for a strategic approach and urged leaders to carefully consider which tasks can be automated.

DOE is leading initiatives to respond to the critical need for skilled professionals to use AI. It has tried to align this with the 2023 Executive Order from the White House, which aims to use AI to boost scientific discovery, economic growth, and national security. 

To support this goal, the DOE is partnering with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create programs that will train 500 new researchers by 2025.