Alphabet’s Google said Wednesday it will spend $1 billion over the next three years to provide artificial-intelligence training, cloud credits and other tools to U.S. higher-education institutions and nonprofits. More than 100 universities, including large public systems such as Texas A&M and the University of North Carolina, have already joined the program, which Google hopes to extend to every accredited nonprofit college in the country. The package combines direct funding with in-kind support such as free access to an advanced version of Google’s Gemini chatbot. Separately, students aged 18 and over in the United States, Brazil, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia can sign up for a complimentary one-year subscription to the company’s AI Pro plan, normally priced at about $200 a year. Google also introduced a “Guided Learning” mode inside Gemini that breaks down problems step-by-step, incorporates images and quizzes and is positioned as an AI tutor. The feature arrives a week after OpenAI unveiled a similar Study Mode for ChatGPT, underscoring escalating competition to shape how generative AI is used in classrooms. The announcement follows a wave of education-focused AI spending across the industry; Microsoft pledged $4 billion in July to expand global AI instruction. Google senior vice-president James Manyika said the company will work with academic partners to address concerns about cheating and critical-thinking skills while refining future products.