Powerful Partnership: Oklahoma Teams with Google to Provide AI Training

In January of this year, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt shared final recommendations from a task force he assembled to study state government use of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

Created to help establish Oklahoma as “the top state for responsible and proactive AI implementation,” the task force laid out strategies and goals for making the state’s government operations more efficient and to prepare Oklahoma’s workforce for the economy of tomorrow.

More recently, the Sooner State announced a new workforce development initiative designed to help Oklahoma take another step in that direction.

The state of Oklahoma has formed a partnership with Google that will provide AI skills to the state’s workers. Through the alliance with the Mountain View, Calif.-based tech titan, Oklahoma will help more than 10,000 Oklahomans access Google’s new AI Essentials course at no cost, according to a statement from Gov. Stitt’s office.

“The online course is product agnostic, does not require a degree or experience, and will teach workers foundational AI skills, AI best practices and how to use AI responsibly,” the statement read, noting that the program can be accessed at www.oklahoma.gov/learnAI.

According to Google, the AI Essentials course teaches participants to use generative AI tools, write effective prompts and use AI responsibly, in under 10 hours of self-paced study. The course curriculum includes an introduction to AI, guidance on responsible AI use, tips on maximizing productivity with AI tools and an opportunity to “discover the art of prompt engineering.”

The new AI initiative builds on Google’s partnership with the state on the Google Career Certificates program, according to Gov. Stitt’s office, noting that 85% of Oklahomans graduating from the Google Career Certificate program since 2022 say they have secured gainful employment through the initiative.

“Our state is positioned to be a leader in implementing AI technology, and this partnership with Google furthers that momentum by educating thousands of Oklahomans in foundational skills for tomorrow’s economy,” Gov. Stitt said in a statement.

“For years, Google has partnered with organizations throughout Oklahoma to help residents expand their career opportunities through digital skills training. As more companies move to Oklahoma, we’ll be ready to meet them with a skilled workforce.”