Google Looks to Boost Government AI Training with $15 Million Grant

In an effort to help upskill the public sector workforce on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), Google.org has announced grants totaling roughly $15 million to help two organizations carry out that mission.

$10 million of those funds will go toward helping the Partnership for Public Service establish the Center for Federal AI, “a hub dedicated to cultivating AI leadership and talent within the federal government,” according to a Google statement.

Set to launch in spring 2025, the Center will offer a number of initiatives, including federal AI leadership and AI internship programs, according to Google, which awarded the grant to the Partnership for Public Service as part of its $75 million AI Opportunity Fund.

An additional $5 million grant will go to InnovateUS, enabling the online initiative to provide AI courses, workshops and coaching programs geared toward state and local government to more than 100,000 public sector employees across more than 30 states, according to Google. The curriculum will include custom AI training for government workers developed by InnovateUS, as well as offering access to the Google Career Certificates program which includes AI training.

In its own statement announcing the grant, the Partnership for Public Service shared its belief that AI “has the potential to transform the government’s ability to deliver effective and equitable public services.” The organization also outlined the Center for Federal AI’s four-pronged approach:

• To develop federal AI leaders, and educating them on how to evaluate AI claims and assess AI use cases, which will equip them to make informed decisions about AI tools and strategies to better serve the public.

• To strengthen federal AI talent capacity, which figures to help the federal government attract, develop and retain the type of AI professionals and diverse early-career talent that will help build the government’s AI capacity.

• To empower federal AI community learning and literacy, by providing ongoing, interdisciplinary and cross-sector learning for federal leaders.

• To recognize and promote the effective use of AI in the federal government, in an effort to “generate a culture of recognition that drives and reaffirms the responsible implementation of AI in government to deliver for the people,” according to the Partnership for Public Service.

“AI is today’s electricity—it’s a transformative technology that is fundamental to the public sector and to our society,” said Partnership for Public Service President and CEO Max Stier, in a statement.

“Google.org’s generous investment will enable the Partnership to expand our current programming and research, and offer innovative new programming to empower agencies to capitalize on AI and better serve the public. We appreciate Google.org’s commitment to effective government, and we are excited to partner with them to launch the Partnership’s new Center for Federal AI this spring.”