Key priorities told Reuters. Photo credit: Reuters
Already facing an unprecedented regulatory onslaught, Alphabet’s Google aims to shape public perception and policy around artificial intelligence ahead of a global wave of AI regulation.
A key priority, one executive said, has become building an education program to train the workforce in AI.
“As we get more people and organizations, including governments, involved in AI, familiar with AI, and using AI tools, AI policies will improve and new opportunities will open up. This is a noble cycle.”
Google is mindful of the heavy regulatory scrutiny it faces in its existing business in advertising and search as it competes in the AI arena against top big tech rivals such as Microsoft-backed Openai and Meta. In the European Union, Google has offered to sell part of its advertising technology business to appease regulators, Reuters reported.
In the United States, the Department of Justice is trying to force farewell to the Chrome web browser, but it may shift course under President Donald Trump’s administration. Meanwhile, governments globally are drafting new regulations on issues that could be exacerbated by AI, such as copyright and privacy.
An EU AI law that seeks to assess risks and require disclosures from general-purpose AI systems is receiving pushback from tech giants who could find themselves in the crosshairs of multibillion-dollar fines. The DOJ also sought to curtail Google’s advances in AI as a cure for a federal case in which it determined the search business was an illegal monopoly.
Google executives see an opportunity to shape the story around a technology that has sparked new fears of mass unemployment. CEO Sundar Pichai announced a $120 million investment fund to build an AI education program in September. Representatives, including President and Chief Investment Officer Walker and Ruth Porat, increasingly travel globally to discuss government and policy recommendations.
“There are a lot of benefits in terms of helping people who might be displaced by this, and we want to focus on that,” Walker said.
Initiatives include expansion with Growing with Google. This is a website that teaches worker skills such as data analysis and IT support aimed at expanding career prospects in the technology field. In December, the company said 1 million people had earned certificates in the program. According to program head Lisa Gevelber, the company is adding specialized courses related to AI, including one aimed at teachers.
According to Walker, courses alone are not enough to prepare workers. “What really matters is if you have some purpose that people are working towards, like credentials that people can use to apply for jobs.”
Google wants to experiment more with public-private partnerships, he said. A key example so far is its “Skilled Trades and Preparation” program, in which the company partners with community colleges to train workers for potential jobs building data centers. Google is building AI education into its programs, he said.
“Ultimately, the federal government will look at what proof of concept is being rolled out and see what green shoots are taking root,” Walker said. “If we can help fertilize that effort, that’s our role.”
In the long term, Walker said he expects a small number of existing jobs to be completely displaced by AI, citing several studies commissioned by Google, Goldman Sachs, and McKinsey. These studies suggest that AI will be incorporated into most jobs in some capacity.
As part of Google’s efforts to prepare for this shift, it hired economist David Auto as a visiting fellow to study the impact of AI on the workforce. Autor said in an interview that AI can be used to create more immersive training programs similar to flight simulators.
“The history of adult retraining is not particularly glorious,” he said. “Adults don’t want to go back to class. Classroom training isn’t the solution for a lot of retraining.”
public – January 27, 2025 10:34am
