Google CEO Sundar Pichai announces new AI fund; reflects on how ‘growing up in India’ highlighted the power of technology

At the UN’s Summit of the Future in New York, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, announced a new $120 million 'Global AI Opportunity Fund.' The initiative is aimed at expanding AI education and training across the world, with a focus on local languages and partnerships with nonprofits and NGOs.

Reflecting on his own journey, Pichai shared a personal story, saying, "Growing up in Chennai, India, with my family, the arrival of each new technology improved our lives in meaningful ways." He specifically recalled the transformative impact of computers on his life. “I didn’t have much access to one growing up,” he said. “When I came to graduate school in the US, there were labs full of machines I could use anytime I wanted – it was mind-blowing."

This experience, Pichai explained, motivated him to pursue a career in technology with the goal of making it more accessible to people around the globe.

The Global AI Opportunity Fund will focus on making AI education available in local languages to underserved communities. The goal is to ensure that more people can learn about and benefit from AI, regardless of where they live or what language they speak. 

Pichai highlighted the importance of collaboration, saying, "We’re providing this in local languages, in partnership with nonprofits and NGOs."

Pichai also outlined Google’s ongoing investment in AI, noting that the company has spent two decades building research, tools, and infrastructure around artificial intelligence. Google’s AI advancements are already visible through services like Google Translate, which recently added 110 new languages, bringing the total number of supported languages to 246. The company’s aim is to expand this to 1,000 of the world’s most spoken languages.

Pichai stressed the potential of AI to drive economic growth, citing studies that suggest AI could increase global labour productivity by 1.4 percentage points and boost GDP by 7 per cent over the next decade. AI is already making a difference in emerging markets, helping to optimise operations and logistics in regions where infrastructure and connectivity challenges exist.

While highlighting AI's potential, Pichai also stressed the need for responsible development. He reiterated Google's commitment to its AI Principles, first published in 2018, which guide the company’s ethical use of AI. Google works closely with international bodies like the UN, OECD, and G7 to ensure AI is developed and deployed responsibly.

“AI must be developed, deployed, and used responsibly, from the start,” Pichai said, emphasising the global impact of this technology and the importance of international cooperation in its future development. 

As Google’s AI tools continue to expand and serve billions of people, the company’s latest fund aims to democratise access to AI, ensuring that more communities around the world can benefit from these advancements.