Google.org x Karya
Google.org x Karya

Google.org has given the non-profit Karya a $1 million donation in an effort to democratize access to the AI employment market. This financing intends to deliver AI-enabled economic opportunities to low-income areas around the world, allowing tens of thousands of people to access digital jobs related to artificial intelligence, like data annotation and language-based AI training. The program is part of Google’s bigger strategy to make AI skills and career possibilities more accessible, with an emphasis on India’s disadvantaged regions.

Karya plans to utilize the award to create a skilling pathway that blends a research-driven curriculum with hands-on learning, tailoring it to make AI professions accessible to persons with limited digital expertise. This program is consistent with India’s objective of developing an AI-ready workforce. 

In addition to the training curriculum, Karya will use generative AI to create a multilingual chatbot to provide real-time support for their digital work platform. This feature attempts to help workers navigate digital tasks in several languages while satisfying local and regional needs.

Alex Diaz, Head of AI for Social Good at Google.org, emphasized the importance of this effort, saying, “We are bringing our resources and talents to ensure that the opportunities [AI unlocks] are beneficial for everyone, regardless of background or circumstance. We are delighted to support Karya’s aim of providing AI opportunities to underrepresented populations.”

The donation demonstrates Google’s growing commitment to AI upskilling in India and elsewhere. Last month, the business launched AI Skills House to teach 10 million Indians in AI applications, and the Central Square Foundation received $4 million to boost AI awareness among students, educators, and parents across the country. Globally, Google CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled a 120-million-dollar Global AI Opportunity Fund to deliver AI education to communities throughout the world in local languages, an initiative launched at the United Nations in September.

Manu Chopra, CEO of Karya, emphasized the organization’s dedication to fair AI development, saying, “We believe that people with low incomes are not only terrific beneficiaries of AI, though they are also excellent builders of AI.” Karya’s digital work platform has already generated significant job prospects.