U.S. educators have been slow to adopt artificial intelligence, putting America’s technological edge at risk. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump wants to keep the United States at the forefront of artificial intelligence with his AI Action Plan, which lists cultivating AI education among American youth as a key step. But messy efforts within U.S. school districts to implement AI have led Trump to turn to a familiar ally to realize his vision: Big Tech.
U.S. Tech’s Role in AI Education
President Trump is tapping U.S. tech companies to spearhead AI education through various measures, such as granting educators and students greater access to their AI products or funding initiatives like the Presidential AI Challenge. The hope is that Big Tech can spread AI use among American schools, which have been slow to embrace the technology.
Google, Apple, Microsoft and other tech giants have made major commitments that align with an executive order Trump signed back in April, which aims to produce an “AI-ready workforce” by instilling AI education among U.S. teachers and students. For instance, companies are allocating funds for the Presidential AI Challenge — a nationwide competition that First Lady Melania Trump has championed as an opportunity for K-12 students to devise AI-based solutions to address community issues.
Such agreements reflect increased urgency among U.S. officials as open-source models reshape the AI landscape more favorably for countries like China and the United Arab Emirates. For Trump, convincing tech leaders to join forces with the federal government may be the only way to develop a workforce that can maintain America’s AI dominance, especially as the country’s education system struggles to adopt the technology.
How the White House Is Courting U.S. Tech Titans
Trump has advocated for AI companies by attempting to deregulate the industry and establish favorable trade conditions in the name of AI innovation. The First Lady has contributed to friendlier relations with the AI industry as well, inviting tech leaders to discuss how to introduce artificial intelligence into K-12 education at a recent task force meeting. In light of this budding partnership between the public and private sectors, it’s no surprise that tech CEOs gave the Trump administration glowing reviews at a White House dinner.
“Thank you for being such a pro-business, pro-innovation President,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. “The investment that’s happening here, the ability to get the power of the industry back in the United States, is going to set us up for a long period of great success leading the world — and I don’t think that would be happening without your leadership.”
U.S. Tech Companies Committed to Advancing AI Education
President Trump has leveraged strong relations between the federal government and Big Tech to make massive asks of the industry — and he’s received an overwhelming response. Here’s what some of America’s tech titans have committed to furthering AI education in the United States.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company plans to dedicate $1 billion to AI education, digital wellbeing, job training programs and AI research. Google is also making its tools more accessible to students of all ages by:
- Providing U.S. high schools with Gemini For Education, a version of Gemini that features the company’s premium models.
- Expanding the Google AI for Education Accelerator to an additional 100 colleges and universities to equip more college students with AI skills training.
- Creating an online hub for students and educators to explore all of the company’s resources on AI education and training.
Over the years, Apple has established fellowships through its Apple Scholars program and supported various tech education initiatives. In response to the White House’s recent call for more AI education support, Apple has pledged to strengthen these efforts by:
- Giving students and teachers more free content on generative AI and machine learning.
- Partnering with Common Sense Media to train educators on how to teach responsible AI.
- Working with different universities and colleges to develop human-centered AI courses.
- Funding dozens of new AI and ML research grants for universities nationwide.
Amazon is fully behind the White House’s AI education efforts, promising to deliver AI skills training to 4 million learners and AI curricula to 10,000 educators in the U.S. by 2028. In addition, the e-commerce giant will allocate funds accordingly:
- $30 million in credits for organizations that are connecting students and educators to cloud and AI technologies.
- $200,000 in AWS credits for school districts and $1.5 million in cash prizes for students who win the Presidential AI Challenge.
- $500,000 as part of a partnership with PlayLabAI to help selected school districts revamp their professional training, classrooms and curricula with a focus on AI.
Microsoft has served up a slate of upcoming initiatives in response to the White House’s calls for Big Tech to support AI education in the United States. Here are some of the top commitments Microsoft has made:
- Free, 12-month access to Microsoft 365 Personal for students at any U.S. college or university, including community colleges.
- Broader access to Microsoft Copilot for students and teachers through the Microsoft Elevate initiative.
- $1.25 million in prize money to reward educators who incorporate AI into their classrooms as part of the Presidential AI Challenge.
- Free AI training and certifications for college faculty via partnerships with the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Applied AI Consortium.
OpenAI vows to help 10 million workers achieve AI certifications through its OpenAI Academy. This builds on a July announcement that the company would partner with the American Federation of Teachers to provide 400,000 K-12 educators in the U.S. with training on how to apply and teach AI skills. To meet this goal, OpenAI is investing $50 million over five years, with applications for grants under the “People-First AI Fund” now open.
In an August post, Anthropic announced a Higher Education Advisory Board to ensure its chatbot Claude serves the needs of students, professors and researchers, as well as AI fluency courses to encourage practical AI adoption. Now, the organization is signing off on the White House’s AI efforts with additional pledges:
- $1 million in funds over a three-year period for a cybersecurity education program geared toward middle and high school students.
- A full-fledged AI fluency curriculum to aid K-12 and higher education instructors in effectively integrating AI into their classrooms.
- Partnerships with MagicSchool, Amira Learning and Solvely.ai, so students and educators can get the most out of Claude.
Meta is dedicating $20 million to connect students and educators with AI resources. It’s also partnering with Pearson to find ways to “ease administrative burdens, enhance lesson planning, and open new learning opportunities” with artificial intelligence. Along with promoting AI, Meta plans to deliver STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) education funding to organizations near its 24 data centers throughout the United States.
In a brief statement, xAI promised to invest $10 million in AI education, specifically for “underserved youth across the country.” It’s notable that relations between xAI and the Trump administration have weakened due to CEO Elon Musk’s fallout with President Trump during his short stint leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
AI chipmaker Nvidia is teaming up with learning platforms Study Fetch and CK-12 to adapt content from its Nvidia Deep Learning Institute and Nvidia Academy for K-12 students. Designed with President Trump’s April executive order in mind, these AI education programs will offer hands-on experience and practical skills to cultivate AI literacy among American youth. In all, this investment will cost Nvidia $25 million, according to the company.
Intel is planning to either maintain or expand several education programs and services to fulfill the White House’s push for AI education among American youth:
- AI for Youth will serve up 250 hours of K-12 learning content covering generative AI, machine learning and AI ethics, among other topics.
- Skills for Innovation will now provide more than 100 AI-integrated lesson plans and training support to help teachers create AI infrastructure for school computers.
- Intel’s AI Global Impact Festival will continue to cultivate skills like problem-solving among youth through AI competitions.
- Intel is broadening its AI for Workforce program across 130 community colleges, touching on disciplines like cybersecurity, manufacturing and sustainability.
What This Could Mean for U.S. Schools
AI is becoming embedded in students’ everyday lives: A 2024 study found that 46 percent of generative AI users between the ages of 14 and 22 have used the technology to complete their schoolwork. Yet only 31 percent of U.S. public schools have an AI policy, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In addition, the Center on Reinventing Public Education found that well below 50 percent of teachers are trained on using AI to personalize students’ learning, improve their creativity and drive hands-on learning.
As a result, the American education system has produced a generation of college graduates who are ill-equipped to meet the demands of an AI-powered economy. Initiatives led by the Trump administration and Big Tech should offer some clarity on how educators and students can use artificial intelligence to enhance the classroom experience and contribute to its broader adoption. Still, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough of a boost for the U.S. education system to catch up with the times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Big Tech involved in AI education in the U.S?
According to a 2024 survey from the National Center for Education Statistics, less than a third of K-12 public schools in the U.S. have an AI policy, and about a third have no plans to implement one. In response, President Trump has solicited help from U.S. tech titans to bolster AI education efforts, since American schools clearly aren’t keeping up with the technology.
How are U.S. tech companies supporting AI education?
Some of America’s top tech companies have made long-term commitments to furthering AI education initiatives in the United States. Here are a few examples:
- Google is dedicating $150 million in grants over a three-year period to companies promoting AI education and digital well-being.
- Microsoft is allocating $1.25 million toward prizes for educators under the Presidential AI Challenge.
- OpenAI aims to help 10 million workers achieve the certifications needed to adapt to an AI-driven economy by 2030.
How is the White House promoting AI education?
President Trump has made AI education in America a top priority by highlighting it in his AI Action Plan and an executive order in April. First Lady Melania Trump has also promoted events like the Presidential AI Challenge to garner more attention around the technology. She’s invited U.S. tech leaders to government meetings to encourage more collaboration between the public and private sectors on implementing AI in the U.S. education system as well.
