Behind Google’s AI Training Funding for Small Businesses

AI adoption among small businesses has shifted from nice-to-have to make-or-break. 

Companies are deploying the technology across marketing, customer service and data analysis – and those lagging behind risk losing ground to faster-moving competitors. 

In response, Google is putting US$5m behind efforts to close that gap.

The funding backs a nationwide training programme run by the US Chamber of Commerce, a business advocacy organisation representing companies across America. 

The Small Business B(AI)sics initiative unveiled at the Chamber’s CO-100 conference, aims to train 40,000 business owners over three years through in-person sessions, digital resources and real-world case studies.

“We are helping Main Street entrepreneurs embrace cutting-edge technology to make their companies stronger, more resilient and more competitive,” says Suzanne P. Clark, President and CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce.

The money flows from Google’s AI Opportunity Fund, which backs workforce development organisations across different sectors. 

It forms part of the company’s broader AI Works initiative, tackling the reality that smaller enterprises often lack the resources their larger counterparts take for granted.

How the training addresses documented skills gap

The programme responds to challenges that business owners are actively grappling with. 

A Forbes Research Small Business Survey from the first quarter of 2025, covering over 500 owners, found that 35% identify upskilling employees to use AI as a top workforce challenge. Another 27% cite implementing AI as their primary technological hurdle.

Among those already using the technology, deployment spans three main areas: 48% in marketing, 47% in data analysis – and 46% in customer service. 

The figures suggest AI has moved well beyond the experimental phase to become embedded in core business operations.

Christopher Turner, Global Head of Knowledge and Information Products in Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, says: “Your greatest risk is your competitor figuring out how to use this stuff faster than you.”

That competitive reality has played out at the highest levels of the technology industry. 

When OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022, it caught established players scrambling to respond. 

The conversational AI system, which generates human-like text responses, gained traction rapidly.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledges as much at Salesforce’s Dreamforce technology conference: “We were making a lot of progress, but credit to OpenAI, you know, they put it out first,” he says. 

He describes AI as “the biggest opportunity in technology” where organisations must “seize the moment and execute well as a company.”

How the programme takes a multi-channel approach

The Small Business B(AI)sics initiative delivers training through local in-person sessions, digital learning hubs on the Chamber’s website – and nationwide campaigns showcasing what works in practice. 

The courses walk business owners through implementation strategies and offer concrete guidance on deploying AI tools to tackle specific operational challenges.

The US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the organisation’s non-profit arm, administers the programme. 

It targets business owners who might otherwise view AI as territory reserved for larger or more technically sophisticated operations.

Karan Bhatia, Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, frames the investment in economic terms: “Small businesses are the engine of our communities and economy – and more than half of small business leaders say AI tools are critical to their businesses’ success,” he says.

“Through this new collaboration, we’re making sure every Main Street Entrepreneur has access to critical AI tools and training they need to grow.”