AVPN’s CEO Naina Subberwal Batra
AVPN, a network of social investors in Asia, has launched a US$15 million fund with the support of Google’s philanthropic arm Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to equip Asia’s workforce with essential artificial intelligence (AI) knowledge.
Named ‘AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific,’ the three-year programme aims to provide tools required for the evolving work landscape in the region. It thereby ensures that jobs and roles presented by AI are accessible to more people in the region, specifically those from underserved communities.
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The fund will be available through an open call to identify and select the non-profit organisations, social enterprises, and workforce associations in Asia Pacific that reach the workers impacted by the workforce transitions caused by AI.
Selected organisations will receive guidance, financial support and tailored AI training based on foundational AI courses designed by Google and its external partners.
“AI presents tremendous opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region, but it’s crucial to equip people with the skills to thrive. This new AI Opportunity Fund in Asia Pacific will help empower underserved communities and ensure everyone benefits from the transformative power of AI,” said Scott Beaumont, President of Google Asia-Pacific.
Employers in Asia-Pacific are confident in AI’s potential to boost productivity. Over the next five years, 93 per cent expect to use generative AI tools, with some even offering salary bumps of up to 44 per cent for workers with AI skills.
While AI is perceived positively by employees, 16 per cent of those surveyed by PwC believed AI could replace their jobs. The work uncertainty compounds for those already disadvantaged, where a third of the population does not use the internet and where high job informality persists.
Also Read: Microsoft to empower 2.5M Southeast Asians with AI skills by 2025
Applications for the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific will open soon. Interested organisations can register their interest and be notified when applications open here.
AVPN’s CEO Naina Subberwal Batra said: “Building an AI-ready workforce is an essential social mandate for businesses and governments, and one that can unlock Asia’s full workforce potential, considering this region will have 165 million working-age people by 2030. There is urgency for such an enablement initiative, as the new world work realities unfold, and we start to see the socioeconomic impact of AI work transition on workers who have limited support to adapt and catch up. AVPN is optimistic about leveraging the knowledge and reach of impact organisations that are already actively working on the ground to bridge the gaps for an AI Workplace Just Transition, and to ensure that the benefits of AI work opportunities reach more of our workers.”
AVPN is a network of social investors comprising over 600 funders and resource providers across 33 markets. Its mission is to increase the flow and effectiveness of financial, human, and intellectual capital in Asia by enabling members to channel resources towards impact.
Recently, tech giant Microsoft committed to equipping 2.5 million Southeast Asian people with AI skills by 2025. The skilling initiatives will be implemented in partnership with governments, nonprofit and corporate organisations and communities across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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