Verizon Launches $70M AI Skills Initiative with Google, Microsoft

Key Takeaways

• <ul><li>Verizon is investing $70 million in a program called AI Skills for America to provide free AI training to job seekers, small businesses, and educators nationwide.</li><li>The $70 million includes $50 million in new funding and $20 million from an existing reskilling fund for workers after 13,000 job cuts.</li><li>IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI, and Coursera are providing training content through a free centralized online portal.</li><li>Goodwill Industries and the National Urban League are partnering with Verizon to deliver local coaching and wraparound support services.</li><li>Verizon CEO Dan Schulman called on other Fortune 100 companies to contribute similar funding to close the AI skills gap.</li><li>The Nasdaq Composite hit an all-time high, gaining over 17 percent this year, driven by Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft stock gains.</li><li>Meta launched a new agentic AI tool called Muse, contributing to investor optimism that also benefited from falling oil prices below $100 a barrel.</li><li>micro1 raised $100 million at a $4 billion valuation to supply AI training data for healthcare, finance, and education applications.</li><li>Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip with on-device AI features, despite a 20 percent decline in handset revenues.</li><li>Affirm deployed a transformer-based lending model that approved more eligible applicants and generated better-performing loans than its previous machine learning system.</li></ul>

Verizon invests $70 million in AI training across the US

Verizon is putting $70 million into a nationwide program to teach artificial intelligence skills. The training will be available to job seekers, small businesses and educators. The company is working with groups like Goodwill Industries. The goal is to reach hundreds of thousands of people.

Verizon starts free AI training with help from top tech firms

Verizon launched a $70 million free AI training program. It is working with IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI. The courses will be offered through community nonprofits at no cost. The program aims to reach underserved communities and is set to begin in 2024.

Verizon plans $70 million push for AI training

Verizon announced a $70 million effort to bring AI training to job seekers and small businesses. The program was revealed in Washington on September 23. It is part of a broader push as the U.S. economy shifts. The company aims to help workers gain new skills for the future.

Verizon adds $50 million to AI training fund for workers

Verizon is investing $70 million total in AI training for workers. The company previously set aside $20 million for employees it was laying off. It now adds $50 million more to the effort. CEO Dan Schulman said AI will change the workforce. He wants other large companies to pitch in too.

Verizon funds AI and tech training through Goodwill

Verizon is investing $70 million to provide training in data science, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. It is partnering with Goodwill Industries and other nonprofit groups. The program targets job seekers, small businesses and educators. The announcement came on September 23 as the U.S. economy undergoes major change.

Verizon invests $70 million in nationwide AI training program

Verizon is investing $70 million in a nationwide AI training program for job seekers, small business owners, and educators. The company will partner with Goodwill Industries and use training materials from IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Verizon CEO Dan Schulman called on other major companies to help fund similar programs. The initiative follows Verizon's earlier $20 million investment to train employees after plans to cut 13,000 jobs.

Verizon invests $70 million in AI training for job seekers

Verizon is investing $70 million to provide AI training to job seekers, small businesses, and educators across the United States. The company is partnering with nonprofit programs like Goodwill Industries. Training resources will come from IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The effort aims to help hundreds of thousands of people prepare for a changing economy.

Verizon launches $70 million AI skills program for Americans

Verizon announced the Verizon AI Skills for America initiative with a total investment of $70 million on September 23, 2026. The program combines $50 million in new funding with an existing $20 million Reskilling and Career Transition Fund for departing workers. It will provide free AI training to job seekers, educators, displaced workers, and small businesses. Training content from IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, Coursera, and OpenAI will be available through a single portal at no cost.

Verizon commits $70 million to nationwide AI upskilling initiative

Verizon announced a $70 million investment called Verizon AI Skills for America to help job seekers, educators, and small businesses learn AI skills. The funding includes $50 million in new money and $20 million already set aside for departing workers. Verizon will partner with nonprofits and tech companies including IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, Coursera, and OpenAI. CEO Dan Schulman said companies have a responsibility to invest in workers as quickly as they invest in technology.

Verizon announces $70M AI upskilling initiative nationwide

Verizon announced a $70 million program called Verizon AI Skills for America on Wednesday to train job seekers, educators, and small businesses in AI skills. The investment combines $50 million in new funding with $20 million from an existing Reskilling and Career Transition Fund. A one-stop portal will offer free training content from IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera, and OpenAI. The program will launch nationwide with support in select regional markets and will gather feedback to improve over time.

Verizon invests $70 million in AI training for workers

Verizon announced a $70 million investment to provide AI training across the United States. The program targets job seekers, small businesses and educators who need digital skills. Training will cover areas like data science, cybersecurity and cloud computing. The effort aims to close the growing skills gap in the technology industry.

Verizon partners with Goodwill for AI training program

Verizon is investing $70 million to provide AI training to job seekers and small businesses nationwide. The company is partnering with Goodwill Industries and the National Urban League to deliver training in data science, cybersecurity and cloud computing. Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said the investment will help Americans develop skills for the digital economy. The program will create training centers and online platforms to reach more communities.

Verizon launches $70 million AI workforce training program

Verizon committed $70 million to a new program called AI Skills for America to train workers, educators and small businesses. The program combines $50 million in new funding with $20 million from an existing reskilling fund. Partners include IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera and OpenAI. Goodwill and other community groups will provide local coaching and support. A centralized online portal will offer all training resources for free, saving participants more than $700 per year.

Verizon funds free AI training for workers and small businesses

Verizon is spending $70 million on a free AI training initiative available to workers and small businesses across the country. The program was announced on Tuesday and includes partners like IBM, Google and Microsoft. It will offer online courses, tutorials and educational materials along with access to AI-powered tools. The initiative aims to address the growing skills gap in the US digital economy.

Verizon targets AI skills gap with $70 million training

Verizon launched the AI Skills for America program with $70 million in funding. The program combines $50 million in new money with $20 million from a reskilling fund for departing workers. Training will be available at no charge through a curated portal featuring AI experts including IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera and OpenAI. Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said companies have a responsibility to invest in people with the same urgency as technology. Community partners will help provide wraparound support services for learners.

Verizon invests $70 million in free AI training for workers

Verizon is putting $70 million into a program called Verizon AI Skills for America. The company will partner with IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, and OpenAI to offer free AI courses through community nonprofits like Goodwill. The money comes from a $20 million fund for departing employees plus an additional $50 million. Verizon says this type of AI training usually costs more than $700 per person per year.

Verizon invests $70 million to bring AI training nationwide

Verizon announced a $70 million plan on September 23 to provide AI training across the country. The program will create training centers offering courses in data science, machine learning, and cybersecurity for job seekers, small business owners, and educators. Verizon is working with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to develop the curriculum. The company plans to reveal the locations of the first centers in the coming weeks.

Verizon adds $50 million to AI training fund for workers

Verizon will invest $70 million total to provide AI training to hundreds of thousands of people. The company is partnering with Goodwill Industries and using training resources from IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The new $50 million adds to the $20 million Verizon already set aside last year for departing employees after cutting 13,000 jobs. Goodwill CEO Steven Preston said employers now require AI skills in job descriptions more than ever before.

Verizon teams with Goodwill to provide free AI courses

Verizon is partnering with Goodwill Industries and other nonprofits to reach hundreds of thousands of people with AI training. The program uses instructional material from IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Verizon CEO Dan Schulman urged other Fortune 100 companies to contribute $50 million or $70 million to similar efforts. Goodwill CEO Steven Preston said many workers find AI training intimidating because they do not know where to start.

Verizon launches $70 million AI skills program across US

Verizon announced the Verizon AI Skills for America initiative with a total investment of $70 million. The program combines the existing $20 million Reskilling and Career Transition Fund with $50 million in new funding. It will offer free access to AI training from IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera, and OpenAI through a single online portal. The initiative targets job seekers, small businesses, educators, and displaced workers. Verizon says premium AI training typically costs over $700 per person per year.

Nasdaq hits record high as AI excitement grows despite risks

The Nasdaq stock exchange reached an all-time high on Tuesday. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.45 percent and is up over 17 percent this year. Tech companies like Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft drove the gains. Investors are growing excited about AI products like Meta's new Muse assistant. Oil prices stayed flat after falling more than 3 percent the day before.

AI stocks rally as oil falls and Meta launches Muse agent

The global AI trade staged a comeback on Tuesday. The Nasdaq-100 Index hit an all-time high, surpassing its June record. Falling oil prices below US$100 a barrel eased inflation worries. Meta Platforms launched a new agentic tool called Muse. Anticipation ahead of the Xi Jinping and Donald Trump meeting also boosted investor optimism.

micro1 raises $100M at $4B valuation for AI training data

micro1, a San Francisco startup, raised $100 million in new funding. The company is now valued at $4 billion. The funding round was led by investors from the Middle East. micro1 supplies high-quality AI training data used in healthcare, finance, and education. The company plans to use the money to expand its operations and products.

Trump rebrands AI as Super Intelligence ahead of Xi meeting

President Donald Trump is renaming AI as Super Intelligence. He spoke at a CNBC event from London about the technology. Trump supports letting AI develop quickly and calls calls to slow it down a hoax. China's President Xi Jinping is set to visit Washington D.C. later in the week. Investors have responded positively to the optimistic tone.

AI price war could slow down frontier model development

A price war in the AI industry is making it cheaper to develop models. High costs had been a major barrier for many companies. Now tech giants are slowing their pace of innovation due to cheaper alternatives. Smaller companies and startups may be able to compete more easily. This could lead to a new era of cost-effective AI experimentation.

OpenAI invites outside experts to review AI training earlier

OpenAI is working with METR and Redwood Research to independently review its AI model training. The company identified four priority areas including safety cases, deployment safeguards, capability evaluations, and misalignment incidents. External evaluators may visit OpenAI offices for sensitive work. The reviews will run on different schedules from a few weeks to several months.

Qualcomm launches new Snapdragon chips with on-device AI

Qualcomm released the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, which features Adreno Neural Fusion and AI-powered camera capabilities. The chip supports Advanced Professional Video and Intelligent Pixel Control for better graphics and scene understanding. Brands like HONOR, Motorola, OnePlus, OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi plan to launch devices with the new platforms. QCT handset revenues fell 20% year over year in the fiscal third quarter.

Affirm rolls out AI lending model for real-time credit decisions

Affirm Holdings launched a transformer-based underwriting model in U.S. checkouts. The system analyzes the order and timing of credit events in real time. It approved more eligible applications including those with limited or no FICO scores. The company reports 3.4% more completed purchases and better-performing loans than its prior machine learning models.

Neon EVM brings Ethereum apps to Solana as AlphaPepe gains attention

Neon EVM is moving Ethereum applications to the Solana blockchain to offer faster execution and lower fees. The article also covers AlphaPepe, an AI trading token in Stage 20 at $0.0308 with a listing price of $0.08. AlphaPepe has raised over $2.76 million with nearly 12,000 holders and four CEX partnerships. A bonus drop ends September 25, 2026 with rewards from 10% to 200%.

CliffCompaction cuts AI agent costs by up to 50%

CliffCompaction is an autocompaction technique for AI agents that reduces cost by up to 50% while maintaining performance. It works by truncating or dropping content without rephrasing or rewriting. The method achieved new efficiency records on Terminal-Bench and KernelBench. It also lets Kimi K2.6 match Opus 4.7 and exceed Opus 4.6 and GPT-5.3 Codex at lower cost.

Sources

• Verizon Commits $70 Million to Nationwide AI Training Initiative
• Verizon launches $70 million free AI training program
• Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort
• Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort
• Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort
• Verizon Invests $70 Million in Nationwide AI Training Program
• Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort
• Verizon announces $70m investment in nationwide AI upskilling initiative with “Verizon AI Skills for America”
• Verizon announces $70m investment in nationwide AI upskilling initiative with “Verizon AI Skills for America”
• Verizon announces $70M investment in nationwide AI upskilling initiative
• Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort
• Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort
• Verizon Commits $70 Million to Nationwide AI Workforce Training Initiative
• Verizon puts $70M behind free AI training initiative
• Verizon Targets AI Skills Gap With $70 Million Training Initiative
• Verizon is investing $70 million in free AI training for job seekers and small businesses
• Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort
• Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort
• Verizon partners with Goodwill to offer free AI training
• Verizon launches $70M AI skills initiative
• Wall Street’s Nasdaq hits all-time high as AI frenzy gathers pace
• AI trade rallies on falling oil and Meta’s Muse agent ahead of Xi-Trump meeting
• Dealroom.co | micro1 raises $100M at $4B valuation for AI training data
• CNBC Daily Open: Nothing artificial about 'Super Intelligence'
• How a price war creates a path to pause AI frontier
• OpenAI is opening its AI model training to outside safety evaluators earlier
• QCOM Launches Next-Gen Snapdragon SoCs: Will Agentic AI Drive Growth?
• Affirm Stock Is In Focus After AI Lending Model Rollout
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• CliffCompaction: Cost-Efficient Compaction for Long-Horizon Coding Agents