Google is stepping up its efforts to spur AI adoption, establishing $15 million in grants to help train and upskill government workers.

Government agencies have already been adopting AI across the spectrum, using it for everything from healthcare to improving utilities and infrastructure. Google is hoping to help ease the adoption even more, using its new $15 million grants as a step in that direction.

At Google Public Sector Summit in Washington D.C., Google unveiled the grants to the Partnership for Public Service and InnovateUS.

The first $10 million grant is to the Partnership for Public Service and InnovateUS.

A $10 million grant to the nonpartisan nonprofit the Partnership for Public Service will help establish the Center for Federal AI, a hub launching in Spring 2025 that is dedicated to cultivating AI leadership and talent within the federal government. At the Center, everyone from interns to executives can learn how to use AI responsibly in their government agencies. As part of this, the Center will offer a federal AI leadership program, federal AI internship program, and initiatives to foster a vibrant learning community for federal AI leaders.

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

The second $5 million grant is to InnovateUS.

An additional $5 million of funding will go to InnovateUS, supported by a consortium of federal, state, and local government partners. This organization has been at the forefront of providing no-cost AI training to public sector workers through at-your-own-pace courses, live workshops, and training programs. InnovateUS has trained more than 40,000 learners and has more than 100 agency partners.

“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,” said Beth Simone Noveck, Founder of InnovateUS and Chief AI Strategist for the State of New Jersey. “By continuing to invest in upskilling programs for public sector professionals offered through InnovateUS, we can improve the effectiveness of how we solve problems while restoring much-needed trust in our government.”

Google says AI is set to play a pivotal role in the future of AI, with these latest grants part of the existing AI Opportunity Fund.

The funding announced today is a part of Google.org’s $75 million AI Opportunity Fund, which aims to help Americans learn essential AI skills. This funding, along with the efforts of organizations like the Partnership for Public Service and InnovateUS, are paving the way for AI to play a central role in improving government services and addressing societal challenges. By investing in AI training and upskilling, we can help ensure the public sector harnesses the full potential of AI to support critical needs such as healthcare access, infrastructure management and public safety, which benefit us all.