Verizon to Invest $70 Million in Nationwide AI Training Initiative

Verizon is committing $70 million to a nationwide initiative focused on providing artificial intelligence training to job seekers, small businesses and educators as AI continues to reshape the U.S. economy.

The telecom company plans to work with major nonprofit organizations, including Goodwill Industries, with the goal of reaching hundreds of thousands of people. The training will use resources from technology companies including IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI.

Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said AI is expected to significantly change the workforce and called for broader participation from large companies in helping workers develop skills for AI-related jobs.

Schulman also encouraged major businesses to contribute funding to workforce training, suggesting that contributions from Fortune 100 companies could create a multibillion-dollar fund for AI skills development.

Verizon had previously announced a $20 million investment to help employees leaving the company develop AI skills following its announcement of 13,000 job cuts. The latest initiative adds another $50 million to that effort.