Google partners with AP to train startups, schools; boost healthcare with AI initiatives

Amaravati: Google on Thursday announced a strategic collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to accelerate the deployment and adoption of Artificial Intelligence (Al) across the state. This collaboration, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will drive the development and implementation of Al solutions, focusing on key sectors like healthcare and sustainability, while also prioritizing digital infrastructure enhancements, Al skills development, and support for the local startup ecosystem.

The MoU exchange took place in Amaravati, in the presence of Nara Lokesh, Minister of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications and Human Resources Development, Andhra Pradesh; between Bikram Singh Bedi, Vice President and Country MD, Google Cloud India, and S Suresh Kumar, Secretary of Real Time Governance Society, Andhra Pradesh.

Bridging the digital divide

Under this MoU, Google will collaborate with the Andhra Pradesh government to integrate Al and ML solutions in critical areas such as healthcare, and environmental sustainability. The collaboration will also focus on promoting skill development and bridging the digital divide by providing citizens with the necessary training and resources to thrive in an Al-driven economy. Additionally, Google will collaborate to support the state's startup ecosystem, to fuel innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of Al.

Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, said, "We are pleased to partner with Google to integrate Al solutions and accelerate Andhra Pradesh's growth. This collaboration aligns with our vision of using technology for the betterment of our citizens. We aim to empower every individual and business by harnessing the power of Al, building a thriving environment for innovation and growth across the state."

‘Inclusive and sustainable ecosystem’

Nara Lokesh, Minister of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications and Human Resources Development, Andhra Pradesh, said, "We are excited to join forces with Google on this journey to build an Al-powered future for Andhra Pradesh. We've always believed that technology should serve the people, and now with Al, we see great potential where Al empowers every citizen and business to innovate and excel. Our collaboration with Google is a significant step towards realizing this vision. Together, we aim to create an inclusive and sustainable ecosystem where Al drives progress in critical sectors. This partnership will also be instrumental in building an Al-ready workforce, a vibrant startup ecosystem in Al, and ensuring lasting benefits of Al for all."

Bikram Singh Bedi, Vice President and Country MD, Google Cloud India, said, "This collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Government is another step in our commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable digital future for India. We're excited to combine Google's Al expertise with the state's vision to cultivate an Al-ready workforce, support local startups, and address areas like healthcare and sustainability We look forward to partnering with the Andhra Pradesh government to unlock the transformative potential of Al to drive progress, improve lives, and promote development and inclusion across the State."

Key initiatives under this MoU:

Skill development and education: To equip students, developers, and the workforce with critical Al skills, Google will offer 10,000 certificates for the Google Al Essentials course, a foundational course that teaches people how to use Al in their work and everyday lives to increase productivity and efficiency. Google Cloud will also collaborate with the government to provide skilling programs for government agencies, including Google Cloud Certifications and Skill Badges in areas like cybersecurity, data analytics, and generative Al. Additionally, Google will offer resources and support to educators to meet the growing demand for computer science education. Skilling initiatives will also include access to Google's developer community programs and Android and app skilling development training.

Startup ecosystem enablement: Google will work with the Andhra Pradesh startup ecosystem to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, providing mentorship and networking opportunities and access to Google for Startups Accelerator programs. In addition, eligible Al startups will receive cloud credits, technical training, and business support.

Sustainability: Applying Al to help address challenges related to air quality, urban planning, and disaster management.

Healthcare: Catalyzing the adoption of Al in healthcare to improve access to quality care and enhance patient outcomes. This includes providing access to Health Al imaging models through partners, exploring applications of generative Al in healthcare through large language models (LLMs), and supporting research initiatives through Health Al Developer Foundations (HAI-DEF).

Al pilots: Google will collaborate on pilot projects in key sectors on the benefits of cloud technology and Al in areas such as agriculture, traffic management, website modernization and citizen grievance redressal, among others.

Google is committed to developing Al in a way that maximizes the positive benefits to society while addressing the challenges, guided by our Al Principles. We prioritize fundamental research to create solutions for the world's most pressing issues and believe that collaboration across diverse communities is the key to accelerating progress with tangible impact while ensuring the ethical development and deployment of these transformative technologies.

About Google

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