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Cision Canada
21-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Google Canada announces $5 million to support the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute to boost AI skills for Canadian post-secondary students
EDMONTON, AB, May 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Google Canada announced a $5 million CAD grant to the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), a leading artificial intelligence research institute, to equip Canadian post-secondary students with essential AI skills to prepare them for the future of work. This initiative aims to address the growing AI skills gap in Canada and bolster the country's AI-driven economy. With the funding, Amii will establish a national consortium composed of 25 post-secondary institutions across Canada. This consortium will develop easy-to-use AI curriculum materials, allowing faculty to seamlessly integrate AI concepts into existing courses and reach 125,000 students across the country. "Canada has an incredible opportunity to translate decades of AI research excellence into fundamental AI literacy skills for a generation of post-secondary students because of the generous support of said Cam Linke, CEO of Amii. "Amii is proud to lead the effort to build a national AI Workforce Readiness Consortium to empower Canadian students with the fundamental literacy skills they need to succeed in an AI-driven economy. From colleges and polytechnics to U15 Canadian research universities and Indigenous PSE institutes, we're ready to support educators with access to curriculum resources across faculties, programs and domains." Canada has been at the forefront of AI research, and is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the transformative potential of AI - with a strong research network, thriving startup ecosystem and established tech companies driving AI innovation. The opportunity is significant, as Public First's latest Economic Impact Report on Google Canada estimates that generative AI could boost Canada's economy by $230 billion and save the average worker over 175 hours a year. However, despite its research leadership, Canada lags in AI adoption, which is a key component in achieving these transformative results. The first step in reversing that trend is increasing AI skills, knowledge and confidence. Fortunately, Canadians are up to the challenge, as the same Economic Impact Report found that 63 per cent of Canadian workers are interested in acquiring AI skills, with interest rising to 72 per cent among young Canadians. "Entering the workforce with AI skills can help Canadian students navigate the rapidly changing job market," said Sabrina Geremia, VP & Country Managing Director, Google Canada. "Google is proud to support Amii's initiative that will not only benefit 125,000 students directly, but will also help the organizations that hire them put AI to work in improving their productivity, efficiency and growth. Supporting organizations like Amii is part of Google's commitment to shaping a future where AI benefits everyone across Canada. About Google Canada Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google Canada has offices in Waterloo, Toronto, Montreal,Ottawa and remotely across the country with employees working on teams across Engineering, AI Research, Sales and Marketing. About Amii One of Canada's three centres of AI excellence as part of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, Amii (the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) is an Alberta-based non-profit institute that supports world-leading research in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Amii translates fundamental research and breakthroughs in AI into business impact, with a focus on transferring knowledge, technology and talent to industry at scale and rapidly improving AI literacy for all. For more information, visit
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Google Canada announces $5 million to support the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute to boost AI skills for Canadian post-secondary students
will provide $5 million CAD for Amii to establish a national consortium to develop AI curriculum and empower 125,000 post-secondary students with AI skills EDMONTON, AB, May 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Google Canada announced a $5 million CAD grant to the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), a leading artificial intelligence research institute, to equip Canadian post-secondary students with essential AI skills to prepare them for the future of work. This initiative aims to address the growing AI skills gap in Canada and bolster the country's AI-driven economy. With the funding, Amii will establish a national consortium composed of 25 post-secondary institutions across Canada. This consortium will develop easy-to-use AI curriculum materials, allowing faculty to seamlessly integrate AI concepts into existing courses and reach 125,000 students across the country. "Canada has an incredible opportunity to translate decades of AI research excellence into fundamental AI literacy skills for a generation of post-secondary students because of the generous support of said Cam Linke, CEO of Amii. "Amii is proud to lead the effort to build a national AI Workforce Readiness Consortium to empower Canadian students with the fundamental literacy skills they need to succeed in an AI-driven economy. From colleges and polytechnics to U15 Canadian research universities and Indigenous PSE institutes, we're ready to support educators with access to curriculum resources across faculties, programs and domains." Canada has been at the forefront of AI research, and is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the transformative potential of AI - with a strong research network, thriving startup ecosystem and established tech companies driving AI innovation. The opportunity is significant, as Public First's latest Economic Impact Report on Google Canada estimates that generative AI could boost Canada's economy by $230 billion and save the average worker over 175 hours a year. However, despite its research leadership, Canada lags in AI adoption, which is a key component in achieving these transformative results. The first step in reversing that trend is increasing AI skills, knowledge and confidence. Fortunately, Canadians are up to the challenge, as the same Economic Impact Report found that 63 per cent of Canadian workers are interested in acquiring AI skills, with interest rising to 72 per cent among young Canadians. "Entering the workforce with AI skills can help Canadian students navigate the rapidly changing job market," said Sabrina Geremia, VP & Country Managing Director, Google Canada. "Google is proud to support Amii's initiative that will not only benefit 125,000 students directly, but will also help the organizations that hire them put AI to work in improving their productivity, efficiency and growth. Supporting organizations like Amii is part of Google's commitment to shaping a future where AI benefits everyone across Canada. About Google CanadaGoogle's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google Canada has offices in Waterloo, Toronto, Montreal,Ottawa and remotely across the country with employees working on teams across Engineering, AI Research, Sales and Marketing. About AmiiOne of Canada's three centres of AI excellence as part of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, Amii (the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) is an Alberta-based non-profit institute that supports world-leading research in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Amii translates fundamental research and breakthroughs in AI into business impact, with a focus on transferring knowledge, technology and talent to industry at scale and rapidly improving AI literacy for all. For more information, visit SOURCE Google Canada View original content:
Business Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Tictag, Hatch tap AVPN's AI Opportunity Fund to train marginalised groups in AI
[SINGAPORE] When non-profit organisation AVPN surveyed 3,000 respondents, it found that only 15 per cent of them have taken part in artificial intelligence (AI) skill programmes, while 57 per cent were unaware that such resources exist. However, about 91 per cent said they are keen to learn AI-related skills – especially as AI is expected to contribute US$3 trillion to Asia-Pacific's gross domestic product, noted Moutushi Sengupta, senior adviser at AVPN. She added: 'Routine tasks – from scheduling to compliance checks – are increasingly being automated, while new roles are emerging in areas such as AI governance, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.' Therefore, AVPN launched the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, supported by and the Asian Development Bank. Forty-nine organisations across the region have been selected to receive funding and guidance from this US$15 million initiative. Although the fund was initiated last year, the chosen organisations were announced only in early May. The fund aims to train and upskill groups of workers in AI, as part of a three-year programme. Marginalised communities, such as migrant workers and persons with disabilities (PWDs), will benefit. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up AVPN worked with its strategic partners, such as AI Singapore, to develop localised AI training programmes based on Google AI Essentials, said Sengupta. With this fund, AVPN has adopted a train-the-trainer approach to reach a larger pool of beneficiaries. 'By equipping organisations with the resources to deliver localised, language-specific AI training, we enable them to deliver this knowledge directly to their own communities. This approach ensures the training provided is relevant, accessible and deeply rooted in local contexts, while also multiplying its impact and reach beyond what any single organisation can achieve alone,' she added. Upskilling for local communities The two organisations chosen from Singapore were Tictag and Hatch. Both operate in the AI and digital space, running upskilling programmes for local communities. In an interview with The Business Times, Kevin Quah, co-founder and chief executive of Tictag, said: 'We want to be able to foster inclusive AI development by not only involving people within the AI economy, but also providing foundational AI skills training to different communities that have unmet needs across Asia-Pacific.' With this particular fund, Tictag aims to 'deliver more accessible AI-focused training modules' to migrant workers, teaching skills such as data management and collection. These foundational skills can enhance their employability, enabling them to pursue entrepreneurship or higher-paying roles. 'Migrant workers might not see AI in action in their day-to-day jobs. We want to expose them to the larger AI ecosystem and give them the skills they need to hopefully enrich their own communities – not just here, but also back home,' Quah said. 'One of the gaps we identified was that migrant workers expressed a desire to learn other skills besides their jobs.' Tictag works with different social service organisations to reach migrant workers from various sectors, including domestic workers. So far, it has collaborated with 16 such organisations to train more than 200 individuals, including migrant workers, PWDs and refugees. Meanwhile, Hatch uses digital tools to help underserved communities upskill, and runs training and employment programmes. Since it was founded in 2018, it has trained more than 1,400 individuals and has an 87 per cent job placement rate. Hatch uses digital tools to help underserved communities upskill. PHOTO: HATCH With the AI Opportunity Fund, the social enterprise hopes to help a broader range of beneficiaries, including women returning to the workforce, senior workers with limited digital exposure, and PWDs. It collaborated with AI Singapore to develop and customise the curriculum. Yeoh Wan Qing, co-founder and chief product officer of Hatch, said: 'AI changes a lot of things in the digital sector – processes are now shorter and faster. We wanted to help because the groups that we work with fall behind (as) they are not ahead with their skills.' She added that many of Hatch's beneficiaries are employed in industries that are 'quite prone to being automated because of the AI revolution', such as administration. Teaching AI skill sets will help them be more efficient at work. 'We've decided to customise a certain part of the curriculum into applications for different sectors – coming up with more use cases on how they can see these skills being applied in their own work and daily lives,' Yeoh said. Those who require moderate support such as early career workers can tap Hatch's AI Readiness Program Core Track, a structured online learning programme; while those who require additional guidance and accommodations such as PWDs can tap the AI Readiness Program Enhanced Support Track. In the fund's second phase, will commit an additional US$10 million to AVPN for AI upskilling initiatives to support micro, small and medium enterprises in South-east Asia.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Google launches new initiative to back startups building AI
On Monday, Google announced the launch of its AI Futures Fund, a new initiative that seeks to invest in startups that are building with the latest AI tools from Google DeepMind, the company's AI R&D lab. The fund will back startups from seed to late stage and will offer varying degrees of support, including allowing founders to have early access to Google AI models from DeepMind, the ability to work with Google experts from DeepMind and Google Labs, and Google Cloud credits. Some startups will also have the opportunity to receive direct investment from Google. AI Futures Fund already has some case studies. Startups such as the meme-making platform Viggle and the webtoon app Toonsutra participated in the program. Startups can apply here starting May 12. Google has been making big commitments over the past few months to support the next generation of AI talent and scientific breakthroughs. Last November, the company's charitable wing, announced a $20 million cash commitment to researchers and scientists working in AI. Before that, in September, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the company was creating a $120 million Global AI Opportunity fund to help bring AI education and training to more places across the world. also launched a $20 million generative AI accelerator program to cut checks to nonprofits developing AI tech. Google also has its Google for Startups Founders Funds, which supports founders from an array of industries and backgrounds building companies, including AI companies. A spokesperson told TechCrunch in February that this year, the fund would start investing in AI-focused startups in the U.S., with more information to come at a later date. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Sign in to access your portfolio
The Sun
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
GDA, Google.org on mission to empower Asean MSMEs to thrive in AI-driven era
PETALING JAYA: The Asia Foundation's Go Digital Asean (GDA) and are expanding their focus to include preparing micro, small and medium enterprises for the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence-driven economy. Backed by a US$27 million (RM116 million) commitment from the initiative focuses on closing the digital gap for underserved communities – particularly women, youth, rural entrepreneurs and owners of small business. Since its inception in 2020, GDA has delivered digital upskilling programmes to more than 200,000 individuals across all 10 Asean member states. In 2025, with the global economy shifting towards automation and artificial intelligence, GDA is evolving its mission to equip Southeast Asia's MSMEs with the knowledge and tools to adapt, innovate and thrive in the AI era. GDA regional programme manager Hannah Najar said AI has the potential to unlock efficiencies, boost productivity, and create market opportunities for MSMEs. 'However, without inclusive access to AI awareness and training, small businesses risk being left behind. That is what we are trying to change,' she told SunBiz. Hannah said the expanded focus is supported by AI Opportunity Fund, which marks a long-term investment into developing AI literacy across the region. 'For us, this means integrating practical knowledge of AI tools and responsible usage into its skilling curriculum, ensuring that MSMEs not only adopt digital technologies, but also understand how emerging tools like generative AI can be applied ethically and effectively to their business operations,' she added. The digital skilling gap remains a challenge across Southeast Asia, especially for small businesses operating in rural or low-connectivity areas, Hannah noted. 'GDA addresses this by leveraging an extensive network of local implementing partners, ranging from civil society groups to government-linked agencies, to contextualise training and extend its reach to hard-to-access communities,' she said. Asia-Pacific lead Marija Ralic said Google recognises that digital transformation is not a one-size-fits-all process. 'Each community has different needs. That is why we work closely with regional partners who understand local barriers and can deliver skills training in culturally and economically relevant ways.' Ralic said the results speak for themselves, as more than 90% of GDA beneficiaries reported a positive business impact from the programme. 'Participants saw improvements in customer engagement, sales growth and overall business performance. In Malaysia, one small enterprise reported a 40% revenue increase after adopting digital strategies learned through GDA training. 'In Indonesia, a rural woman entrepreneur leveraged e-commerce tools to expand her business beyond her local village. And in Thailand, a mushroom farmer-turned-online seller demonstrated how digital tools can open up entirely new income streams,' she added. With MSMEs facing increasing pressure to digitalise and compete in a global market, they both noted that the partnership aims to build a strong foundation, not just for short-term gains, but for sustainable, future-facing transformation. Looking ahead, Hannah noted that the initiative plans to scale its reach by expanding digital literacy programmes into AI-specific training, enhancing cybersecurity awareness, and promoting responsible digital entrepreneurship. 'This vision aligns with Asean's broader digital integration goals and reflects the growing recognition that AI will be a core component of business competitiveness in the coming decade. 'The digital economy is evolving, and we want to ensure that MSMEs evolve with it. This means going beyond access to technology, we are building digital confidence, skills, and awareness that can help small businesses take charge of their futures,' she said.
