Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has announced a $1 billion investment over three years to enhance artificial intelligence education and training at U.S. higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. The initiative, called the Google AI for Education Accelerator, aims to provide free AI training and Google Career Certificates to college students across the United States. More than 100 universities, including some of the largest public university systems, are participating in the program. The commitment includes funding for AI degree programs at 10 U.S. universities starting in 2026, as well as resources such as cloud computing credits and access to AI tools like the Gemini 2.5 Pro chatbot with a Guided Learning mode designed to improve student understanding and critical thinking skills. This investment is part of a broader trend of significant private sector funding in AI education and research, which is projected to surpass federal government spending on education and job programs in 2026. Additionally, the 'Hour of Code' initiative is evolving into the 'Hour of AI' to further emphasize AI education.