Syracuse Sun

Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) has been granted $3.5 million by Google as part of the tech company's $75 million AI Opportunity Fund. The grant aims to provide training in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to transitioning service members, veterans, and military-connected spouses.

J. Michael Haynie, the vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and the executive director of the IVMF, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with Google during a press conference in Washington, D.C. Haynie stated, "We're excited to partner with Google on this new initiative, which will help make AI training universally accessible throughout the country."

The funding from Google will offer free access to Google's AI Essentials Course and the Google cybersecurity certificate to participants of the Onward to Opportunity (O2O) program. Haynie highlighted the importance of this opportunity for veterans and military spouses, stating, "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."

According to James Manyika, senior vice president for research, technology and society at Google, AI presents significant economic growth opportunities when individuals have access to proper resources and training. Manyika emphasized Google's commitment to ensuring widespread access to AI training, stating, "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 also acknowledged the eagerness of military veterans to embrace technology in their professional lives, emphasizing the impact of Google's support in addressing the training gap. He noted, "This training will have a lasting impact on veterans and military spouses."

The grant from Google is set to address the specific need for AI training among veterans and fill a nationwide training gap. The online AI Essentials course offered by Google, normally priced at $49 per person, will be available at no cost to IVMF participants, providing practical, hands-on experience and a certificate upon completion.