AI Essentials was meticulously crafted with the intention of catering to knowledge workers – individuals engaged in generating, organizing, and distributing information. Anoop emphasizes that this demographic constitutes a significant portion of the workforce globally, exceeding 1 billion people. Many of these professionals heavily rely on Google’s suite of tools, ranging from Search to Docs. As the landscape of roles in the workplace undergoes transformation due to AI, our aim is to equip a broad spectrum of individuals to not only adapt to these changes but to excel and prosper within them.
The program was unveiled alongside a $75 million AI Opportunity Fund by Google.org. This fund is earmarked to bolster workforce development and educational entities throughout the United States, assisting them in imparting AI skills to over 1 million Americans. The evolution of AI Essentials from a mere proposal to a full-fledged program was a collaborative endeavor involving various experts hailing from different units within Google. Contributions to the development and structuring of course materials poured in from organizations like Google DeepMind, Education for Social Impact, Technology & Society, Google Research, among others.
During the beta testing phase, individuals tasked with evaluating the program engaged with all five modules and offered valuable feedback. This included pinpointing areas that appeared overly theoretical in nature. Responding to this feedback, the team made the decision to infuse a more pragmatic approach into the program. Yasmin Sanders Fathi, the Grow with Google Program Manager spearheading the development of AI Essentials, spearheaded this effort. One of the outcomes was the formulation of a five-point “Checklist for Responsible AI Utilization,” which features practical directives such as scrutinizing content prior to sharing it. Yasmin highlighted the significance of this hands-on strategy in simplifying a rather abstract concept for learners.
Various partners spanning nonprofit, educational, commercial, and governmental sectors were also engaged in testing the program. Yasmin elaborates on the inclusion of a Content Advisory Group comprising prominent partners during the development stage. Through discussions with these partners, she gained insights into the challenges they encounter and their aspirations for integrating AI into their respective workplaces. Once the syllabus took shape, partners reviewed it and encouraged their staff and faculty members to participate in the beta testing phase.
[source](https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/grow-with-google/google-ai-essentials-course-creation/)
