Google's AI Tour Hits the Mother Road

Google's 'Make AI Work for You' tour helped small business owners across five states along Route 66 learn how to use artificial intelligence to save time, boost sales, and grow their teams. The training workshops were held in partnership with local chambers of commerce and Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) in Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and California.

According to data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 85% of small businesses that use AI saw an increase in sales over the past year, while 82% grew their teams. Local entrepreneurs and business owners participated in hands-on training sessions, where they worked through everyday tasks and brainstormed ways to solve operational challenges.

One participant shared how the training helped them see the potential of AI: '...we're now able to work more efficiently and focus on growing our business.'

The Google AI Professional Certificate training is still available at no cost to U.S. small businesses, with a new course on coding designed for non-technical users.