AI has been growing at an unbelievable pace over the past few years, but 2024 was the biggest year yet of the AI boom. There's little doubt AI will play a critical role in shaping the future of tech and the world at large. For all the good it may bring, it also presents a fresh set of problems.
While the possibilities for innovation are exciting, there's also the very real risk that people in vulnerable and underserved communities will get left behind amidst the rapid explosion in AI development.
That's an outcome Google is trying to prevent with its AI Opportunity Initiative Fund, a program that debuted in February. In Europe alone, Google believes AI has the potential to expand the economy by 1.2 trillion Euros and save the average worker over 70 hours a year. Its fund seeks to deliver on this potential, and, as Google sees it, the initiative is already off to a successful start.
Andréa Willis, a Communications Manager at Google, tells Laptop Mag: "The [AI Opportunity Initiative] Fund builds on Google’s work to ensure the opportunities created by technology are truly available to everyone. To date, Google has trained over 100 million people on digital skills globally."
Google's AI Opportunity Initiative makes the future of tech accessible to all
Google's AI Opportunity Initiative is one of the first programs of its kind worldwide and certainly among the most extensive. It provides funding for AI training and skills for people worldwide, especially those in underserved and vulnerable communities.
The program initially launched in Europe but has since expanded to Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and the United States. The AI Opportunity Initiative marks a major step forward in ensuring everyone has the chance to learn about AI and pursue careers in this rapidly developing industry.
Willis highlighted the Initiative's progress so far, explaining, "To date, Google has committed $120M to our Global AI Opportunity Funds. This funding makes AI education and training available in communities around the world."
To date, Google has committed $120M to our Global AI Opportunity Funds.
Andréa Willis, Google Communications Manager
To further AI education, Google broadened its Grow With Google AI foundational courses, making them available in more languages. The self-paced foundational course is available to individuals, teens, educators, and businesses, and introduces core AI concepts while showing learners how they can already use AI through applications to enhance productivity and simplify daily tasks.
Aside from online courses, Google is also working with existing local non-profits and NGOs to help provide tailored support to communities by those that understand them best, using local languages and even providing childcare to further remove learning barriers.
The newer initiative isn't just about individuals, as Google also introduced Google for Startups Growth Academies — equity-free programs available to startups looking to use AI to tackle societal issues in health, education, and cybersecurity. Google provides guidance on scaling their business, expanding user bases, and even helps with accessing global markets through the use of Google's infostructure.
The individual funds for each region of the world have unique goals and partners tailored to that region. However, the program has an overarching theme of empowering people to benefit from the economic opportunities AI is creating by equipping them with technical skills that might otherwise be difficult, or even impossible, to access.
Ensuring the AI boom is a wave that lifts all boats
As AI increasingly makes its way into our daily lives and the tech we rely on, it becomes a treasure trove of economic opportunity. The AI boom could have a monumental positive impact on countless people's lives, not just through its application but the tech jobs it can create (and those it could consume). That's why funding for AI education is incredibly powerful right now.
Google's AI Opportunity Initiative doesn't pretend to be a one-stop solution for global AI training, but it provides a critical requirement for it to blossom: funding. It demonstrates that Google recognizes the value of education in transforming people's lives through tech.
This is also just the beginning, and I am certain we will see many more funding programs like Google's AI Opportunity Initiative spring up in the future. The Dot Com bubble sparked a wave of interest in learning about tech and the Internet, to the point that as of 2023, over 57% of U.S. high schools offer computer science classes.
We could easily see a similar explosion in the growth of AI education. What makes Google's program stand out is its aim: to make sure everyone is included in the opportunities AI has to offer. After all, the more people who have a hand in shaping this technology, the better it will be able to serve us all in the years to come.
As Google noted in a February press release, "For AI to benefit everyone, it must be built by — and accessible to — everyone."
If you're anything from an AI enthusiast to the average AI tinkerer (or simply seeking out some of the additional features offered through Windows Copilot+ PCs or Apple Intelligence on Macs), then you'll need a powerful and performative laptop to keep up to speed with your needs.
At Laptop Mag, we review laptops year-round to ensure we're giving you expert-backed and up-to-date recommendations on which notebook is right for you. When it comes to the best AI PC category, our top picks are the excellent Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) for Windows users and the impressive Apple Macbook Air M3 for those running macOS.
So, if you're shopping for a new laptop and looking to invest in an AI PC (or just a great laptop in general), check out our current top-tier picks below.
The Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) has quickly become our favorite AI PC laptop of the year, offering all the hallmarks of a great buy, including exceptional performance and battery life. This laptop is one of the first to feature an Intel Core Ultra 200V series processor and at just $1,499 (MSRP), you get a fantastic balance of power, a stunning 14-inch OLED display, effortless multitasking, NPU-enhanced performance for AI tasks, and all of the additional Copilot+ features available with Windows 11.
We love the MacBook Air 13 M3. Starting at just $1,099 (MSRP), with education pricing dropping to $999 (MSRP), the Air is a laptop we can recommend for just about any purpose. It's affordable, especially by Apple standards, and it features an excellent keyboard, fantastic performance, and outstanding endurance (over 15 hours of battery life), which makes it a great laptop for just about anyone's needs, especially those interested in getting to grips with all of the latest Apple Intelligence features.
