Amaravati, Dec 5 (IANS): Google will help Andhra Pradesh government drive Artificial Intelligence advancements in the state.

Under an agreement signed with Real Time Governance Society on Thursday, Google will provide skill development programmes in schools and colleges, train startups and traditional industries in AI-based solutions, and assist in areas like healthcare and sustainability. This partnership will also focus on enhancing digital infrastructure and fostering a robust startup ecosystem in the state.

Google will also conduct training classes on AI-related services for start-ups, customary industries and minor sector business organisations.

An agreement to this effect was signed between Google and the state government on Thursday.

Google will also extend its cooperation to the State Government in key areas like healthcare and environmental sustainability to integrate AI and ML solutions.

The state government has taken a crucial first step to provide opportunities in line with the international changes in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

For advanced innovations in the field of Artificial Intelligence, the state government signed the agreement with Google in the presence of the Minister for Education, Information Technology and Electronics, Nara Lokesh.

The general manager of the Indian unit of Google, Lalitha Ramani, and the Secretary of Real Time Governance of the State Government, Suresh Kumar, signed the pact at the State Secretariat.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the AP Economic Development Board (EDB), Saikanth Varma, the CEO of Real Time Governance Society (RTGS), Dinesh Kumar, the Secretary of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Kartikeya Mishra, senior officers of the Investment Wing of the State Government and others were present.

The general manager of Google Maps, Lalitha Ramani, said that this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed in accordance with the vision of the Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, to extend better and faster services to the people by making use of AI.

Lokesh said that Ease of Living is the basic policy of the State Government and the main goal is providing necessary faster services to the people through mobile phones instead of making rounds to all the government offices.

Expressing satisfaction over the MoU signed with Google for providing better AI-based future opportunities to the youth, Lokesh said that the aim is to extend much better and faster services to the people through advanced technology. Google will play a vital role in preparing the workforce for AI-based empowerment, Lokesh said.

The Minister also expressed confidence that the youth in the State will now get skill training with global standards which will provide vast opportunities to them.