The State of California announced a groundbreaking AI education initiative in collaboration with NVIDIA. This public-private partnership aims to enhance workforce training and economic development by equipping universities, community colleges, and adult education programs in California with the skills needed in generative AI.
Amy Tong, secretary of the California Government Operations Agency, emphasized the state’s responsibility to prepare students and faculty for the growing role of AI in various sectors. She noted that NVIDIA, as a global leader in AI computing, is an ideal partner to help shape the future of California’s workforce.
As part of this initiative, California educators can earn certification through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador Program, which provides access to teaching resources, workshop content, and cloud-based GPU-accelerated workstations. This effort aims to empower educators to train both students entering the workforce and working professionals expanding their skills.
NVIDIA is already involved in various projects across California, making AI more accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. These efforts span fields like biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, media, and entertainment, helping students and professionals leverage AI for innovation and productivity.
For instance, San José State University is exploring how NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform could aid in creating digital twins—3D virtual models of real-world systems—for the city. During Black Engineer Week in June, NVIDIA hosted students for tech demos and career guidance.
Additionally, NVIDIA is partnering with University of California and California State University systems on workforce, climate, and community-focused projects, such as training students on underwater data center technology and collaborating with California Black Media to train a large language model on a century of journalism by Black journalists.
Earlier this year, the NVIDIA GTC AI conference in San José featured sessions for educators on integrating generative AI and NVIDIA technologies into their curricula and discussed the importance of equitable access to AI education and resources.
