
(C): Twitter
Generative AI is disrupting every sector, and Google has leveraged its decade-old internal learning platform, Grow, to focus solely on AI training. In the past, there were courses that ranged from solving Rubik’s Cubes to 3D printing, but the offerings of Grow now feature AI tools that complement daily business workflows. This strategic shift is part of a larger pivot for Google. They want to improve efficiencies and provide new capabilities for their workforce in an AI-first world.
Prioritizing AI Education for Business Impact
Grow previously had over half a million courses on nearly everything from product development to personal finance. This spring Google stopped offering ongoing sessions and archived some less useful content in favour of new AI modules related to its core business objectives. A spokesperson for Grow said that Grow is being optimised to enable employees to “find the most appropriate learning opportunities” while connecting training specifically to the business needs of Google.
A Shift from Perks to Performance
This overhaul comes as companies implement cuts to their budgets and layoffs and limit employee benefits that were supposed to be permanent features, such as DEI programmes. By making Grow a critical part of the company’s mission, Google emphatically communicates to all of its employees, not just engineers, that they must learn how to work within the AI paradigm in order to keep their competitive edges. This decision also matches the urgency Google is trying to signal to employees for adopting AI in its products, operational practices and overall strategy.