SU’s IVMF to use $3.5M Google grant to train veterans on AI, cybersecurity

SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s (SU) D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) will use a $3.5 million grant from Google to help train veterans on two pertinent topics in the technology world. SU’s IVMF will use the funding to help train transitioning service members, veterans, and military-connected spouses on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) topics, per an April 26 announcement. The funding — part of the tech giant Google’s $75 million AI Opportunity Fund — will provide free access to Google’s AI Essentials Course and the Google cybersecurity certificate to Onward to Opportunity (O2O) participants. The IVMF is one of the fund’s first recipients, SU noted. “We’re excited to partner with Google on this new initiative, which will help make AI training universally accessible throughout the country,” J. Michael Haynie, SU vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and the executive director of the IVMF, said in the SU announcement. “With this new Google AI Essentials Course, we are confident that we can arm veterans and military spouses with the training and skills necessary to begin to leverage the technology and put it to use in their career.” Haynie spoke at a press conference about the grant funding April 26 in Washington, D.C. According to Google, its online AI Essentials course, taught by the tech giant’s industry experts, will train people to use generative AI effectively in their day-to-day work, SU said. Participants will receive “practical, hands-on experience” with AI — including best practices and how to responsibly use AI — and those who complete the course will earn a certificate from Google to share with their network and with potential employers. The course normally costs $49 per person, but with the Google grant, IVMF participants can learn these skills at no cost. “AI offers significant opportunities to accelerate economic growth, particularly if people have access to the right resources and training,” James Manyika, senior VP for research, technology and society at Google, said in the SU announcement. “Google.org’s new AI Opportunity Fund and Google’s AI Essentials Course are important next steps in our commitment to ensure everyone, everywhere can access AI training. No single employer or policymaker will be able to modernize workforce programs on their own —we are committed to collaborating across industry, civil society, and government to ensure the opportunities created by new technologies are available to everyone.” Haynie said the IVMF team provides training, education, and technical assistance to more than 20,000 service members, veterans, and military-connected family members annually. He also recently said one of the most asked about questions from the veteran community involved ways to learn more about AI and its everyday uses, per the SU announcement. “We’ve found that military veterans are eager to embrace the technology in their professional life to increase productivity, whether while running their own small business or working for one of America’s employers. We were working to find the right answer for them, but with an increasingly crowded marketplace of resources and training it was difficult to identify the right opportunity…enter our friends at Google. This training will have a lasting impact on veterans and military spouses,” Haynie said of Google.org, which has supported IVMF with its efforts at preparing transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses to bring their skills to civilian careers since 2013.