Google is making a $1 billion bet on the future of education and at the heart of it is artificial intelligence (AI).
In a major announcement this week, James Manyika, Google-Alphabet’s senior vice president and Zimbabwean-born AI thought leader, said the tech giant is expanding its AI-powered learning efforts globally.
The multi-technology company is starting with a bold initiative to offer free AI training and Google Career Certificates to every college student in the United States.
“Learning and education have always played a significant role in creating opportunities for people everywhere, it has for me and continues to. AI presents the potential to personalise learning, help transcend barriers of language, modality, and more,” he said.
At the core of this push is LearnLM, a suite of AI learning tools developed by Google, which now powers many features in Gemini, its flagship AI model. Gemini is being positioned not just as a chatbot but as a personal tutor, guiding users with step-by-step learning, quizzes, flashcards, and study guides.
While the initiative is initially focused on the United States and select global markets, Manyika emphasised Google’s broader goal to expand AI education access worldwide, including Africa, where the youth population is set to double by 2050.
In other early benefiting markets, the AI Pro Plan, which provides students with access to tools such as Gemini 2.5 Pro, NotebookLM, and image/video generation, is being offered free of charge to university students in Japan, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia, with plans to expand to more countries.
For Africa, where internet access and quality education remain uneven, this announcement presents a tantalising glimpse into what’s possible.
As AI-powered learning becomes more accessible, it could help bridge the continent’s digital education gap.
“Understanding AI and how to use it will be essential to students as they enter the workforce,” Manyika stressed.
With Africa’s youthful population and rising smartphone penetration, the continent stands to gain significantly if its infrastructure and policies align with this new AI-powered learning era.
Education experts have in the past repeatedly underlined that Africa’s growing digital transformation hinges on how fast it can incorporate frontier technologies like AI into classrooms.
The June 2024 report, titled “AI and the Future of Work in Africa”, compiled by academic and industry experts, concluded that the continent could be at the forefront AI globally due to its youthful and multicultural workforce.
“By proactively addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities, Africa can leverage AI to drive economic growth, empower its workforce, and become a leader in socially responsible AI development,” reads the report.
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