'So important': UK minister endorses Google's training drive in AI arms race

A larger-than-life Michelle Donelan beams on to a screen in Google's London headquarters. The UK science and innovation secretary is appearing via video to praise the US tech behemoth for its plans to equip workers and bosses with basic skills in artificial intelligence (AI). "The recent explosion in the use of AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's Bard show that we are on the cusp of a new and exciting era in artificial intelligence, and it is one that will dramatically improve people's lives," says Donelan. Google's "ambitious" training programme is "so important" and "exceptional in its breadth", she gushes in a five-minute video, filmed in her ministerial office. Welcome to the AI arms race, where nations are bending over backwards to attract cash and research into the nascent technology.