Bringing AI skills everywhere and shaping a new competitive advantage for governments

By Brian Gonzalez, Executive Director, Government Partnerships & Initiatives at Intel Corporation

According to the World Bank, the global digital economy is growing 2.5 times faster than the physical economy. AI has become a key engine for new growth as industries adopt it, reshaping how we play, learn, work, and live. Intel believes making AI accessible everywhere is crucial for businesses and society to thrive. This means ensuring that everyone, regardless of location, ethnicity, gender, or background, has access to AI skills

In 2020, Intel pledged to equip 30 million individuals across 30 countries with the necessary skills for current and future jobs by 2030. We have empowered 7 million people in 29 countries through over 100 public-private partnerships. Our Intel® Digital Readiness Programs have emerged as one of the most extensive and trusted AI skilling portfolios for governments globally, driving positive change for citizens, students, the workforce, and government leaders. This impact is a cornerstone of the Intel IDM 2.0 strategy, which focuses on garnering government and community support, nurturing AI-ready talent, and promoting responsible AI adoption through our products and technologies.

Still, we recognize there is a long journey ahead to help governments accelerate their AI readiness and build competitiveness. Here are three essential aspects where Intel can help:

1. Driving Responsible Outcomes with AI to Enhance Human Capital:

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 will require more leadership commitment, infrastructure, and funding—but that is not enough. We must foster an ecosystem that supports local innovation to address issues, including AI solutions. Now in its fourth year, the Intel AI Global Impact Festival drives an ecosystem shift by empowering governments to cultivate new talent and accelerate local innovation. We are impressed with the innovations we are seeing this year that address sustainability goals and accessibility challenges, such as students from Singapore building AI-powered digital twins to enhance urban agriculture and reduce flood risks and Indian students creating an AI translator for Indian Sign Language and English Sign Language to empower the deaf community in their country.

2. Enabling Scale and Localization of AI Skilling:

The rise of generative and complex AI systems has sparked a global conversation about making AI truly inclusive. Intel is leading public-private partnerships to produce results for policymakers at local, national, and global levels. We are at the forefront of scaling AI readiness by supporting the Given diverse government priorities, localization is crucial. In Ohio, we are collaborating with partners to customize AI training for workers across the state, with curricula for TechCred Ohio, which provides certifications for workers to reskill and apply AI in education, healthcare, manufacturing, and more. In Poland, Intel is implementing programs like AI for Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture in 61 schools nationwide to address priority industries.

3. Taking a Holistic Approach to AI Skilling by Cementing a New Foundation for the Digital Economy

Building AI readiness also requires addressing digital trust and the silicon economy as foundational issues. With our new digital trust and semiconductor training programs, we are helping governments develop a stronger foundation for an AI-powered digital economy that incorporates cybersecurity skills and empowers a new semiconductor workforce. In the U.S., we have collaborated with partners in Ohio to launch semiconductor education programs and are bringing digital trust and cybersecurity skills to Florida's workforce and citizens.

We are excited to announce the fourth annual Intel AI Global Impact Festival, taking place from October 10 to October 25 (Midnight Japan time). The festival will bring together student innovators, educators, and government representatives from over 25 countries to showcase and learn about remarkable AI innovations worldwide. Our goal is to promote the widespread adoption of AI skills and contribute to the competitiveness of nations in the digital economy. By working together, we can expand our impact and ensure that AI is inclusive and trustworthy for everyone.