Google Pledges €25M to Boost Europe's AI Skills

Facts

• On Monday, Google announced that it was committing €25M (nearly $27M) to help Europeans enhance their artificial intelligence (AI) skills and ensure that 'no one is left behind.'¹
• Google's president for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Matt Brittin, called innovation 'a team sport' and said that the firm will work with EU Governments, civil society, academics, and businesses 'to land this technology safely and for everyone.'²
• For the initiative, Google is seeking applications for social enterprises and non-profits that could help reach individuals most likely to get empowered through AI skills training.³
• The tech giant is expected to host an equity-free program called 'growth academies' to support startups utilizing AI to solve health, education, and cybersecurity challenges.⁴
• As part of its AI Opportunity Initiative, Google will expand its free AI foundational courses to 18 languages, offering a series of modules on introductory AI skills.⁵
• In January, Google announced investing $1B in building a data center near London to help ensure reliable internet services to its Google Cloud users in the UK.⁶

Sources: ¹Businesstimes.Com.Sg, ²Google, ³US News & World Report, ⁴The Fastmode, ⁵Archive and ⁶ETCIO.com.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Google. Google has always sought to take the various regions that it operates in, especially Europe, along in its innovative journey into the technological future. Its 2015 Growth With Google program looked to plug Europe's skills gap, training over 12M people. Many beneficiaries have since built strong careers and businesses. The AI Opportunity Initiative now looks to build on that experience.
• Narrative B, as provided by the Guardian. It's important to note that there's been no European Amazon, Alphabet, or Meta yet. European risk-averseness aside, a lack of financing has been a hurdle. However, AI could flatten the field for Europe's entrepreneurs. Despite the challenges, it looks like Google wants to be around when that happens — and a transatlantic Silicon Valley is not out of the cards.

Predictions