Bringing People Together at the AI for the Economy Forum

At the first AI for the Economy Forum held in Washington, D.C., Google and MIT FutureTech came together to discuss AI's impact on the economy and jobs. The core message is that neither AI's benefits nor its risks are automatically determined, and new collaboration is needed among businesses, workers, governments, and researchers.

Google is moving on two fronts to address this. First, through the AI & Economy Research Program, it is strengthening research on the economy and labor markets. Second, it is expanding education and training that people need to prepare for the AI transition.

On the research side, Google is broadening collaboration with outside experts. Through the Visiting Fellows program, it invites economists such as MIT's David Autor to conduct research, and through the Digital Futures Project, it worked with MIT's Ben Armstrong and Julia Shah to explore ways AI tools can benefit both workers and companies. This research showed that AI performs best not simply by replacing tasks, but when it reduces repetitive work and promotes learning and collaboration.

On top of this, Google.org funding and Google Cloud credits are being added to support a new group of researchers and a coalition of research institutions around the world. Research topics include labor market shifts, industry-specific transitions in manufacturing and healthcare, and policy environments for expanding worker opportunity. Internally, Google also continues to dig into the productivity impact of generative AI on knowledge work and the economics of AI agents. The advisory group includes Michael Spence, Diane Coyle, and Mohamed El-Erian.

Training and opportunity expansion are also being pursued in parallel. Google has so far trained 100 million people worldwide and 13 million people in the U.S. in digital skills, and building on this, it operates the AI Professional Certificate and the $120 million Global AI Opportunity Fund. It has also launched the following three Google.org-supported programs.

• Together with the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, providing AI literacy and practical tools to rural healthcare workers
• Apprenticeships Unlocked, led by Jobs for the Future, supporting the creation of new apprenticeship programs at 100 companies across the U.S.
• Together with the Manufacturing Institute, training 40,000 manufacturing workers in AI skills and expanding apprenticeship opportunities to 15 new U.S. regions

This effort also connects to the Google AI Educator Series. Together with ISTE+ASCD, Google is providing Google AI products and AI literacy education to 6 million K-12 teachers and higher education faculty in the U.S., which is part of the larger AI Works strategy combining partnerships, education, and investment.

Google further emphasizes that, building on $1 billion in support for AI education and job training in the U.S. along with large-scale investment in technology infrastructure, R&D, and energy capacity, it aims to make AI a tool that enhances economic mobility. Ultimately, the forum conveys the message that no single entity can manage the AI transition alone, and that this is a starting point for building a lasting structure of collaboration.