by Craig Underwood | June 22, 2026

Net / Summary / Abstract Massachusetts now has one clearly universal free AI training offer for all residents: the Massachusetts AI Hub + Grow with Google partnership, which provides no-cost access through December 31, 2027 to Google AI and career certificate programs. The clearest free AI tool-access benefit is narrower but still meaningful: learners who enroll in the Google AI Professional Certificate receive three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro. Beyond that resident-facing offer, the Healey administration has built a broader AI support ecosystem including educator pilots, high school AI programming, state-employee AI tools and training, AI compute resources, data commons work, applied AI grants, and startup supports. The practical takeaway for clients is simple: residents and organizations should use the Google training now, while tracking which other Massachusetts initiatives are universal, targeted, or limited-capacity.

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Executive Summary

Massachusetts now has one major statewide free AI training offer for all residents: the Massachusetts AI Hub + Grow with Google partnership, announced by Governor Maura Healey on February 26, 2026. It gives Massachusetts residents no-cost access, through December 31, 2027, to Google AI and career certificate programs, including the Google AI Professional Certificate, Google AI Essentials, Google Agile Essentials, and Google Career Certificates such as Data Analytics, IT Support, and Project Management.^[1]

The most concrete free AI tool access currently available to the general public through this initiative is attached to the Google AI Professional Certificate: each learner who enrolls in that AI certificate receives three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro.^[2]

Beyond that resident-facing benefit, Massachusetts has built a broader AI support ecosystem through the Massachusetts AI Hub, launched in December 2024 after the Massachusetts AI Strategic Task Force and supported by the Mass Leads Act. The Hub’s mission is to connect, accelerate, and scale AI initiatives that advance innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and public good across Massachusetts.^[3]

The practical bottom line: for ordinary Massachusetts residents, the free Google training partnership is the clear ‘go do this now’ opportunity. For educators, public employees, students, startups, nonprofits, universities, and employers, there are additional targeted opportunities, but eligibility and access vary.

Figure 1. Massachusetts AI Investment & Support Timeline

 

1. What Is Available to All Massachusetts Residents?

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A. Grow with Google + Massachusetts AI Hub: free AI and career training

The most direct statewide resident benefit is the Grow with Google partnership, administered through the Massachusetts AI Hub. The state announcement says the partnership offers all Massachusetts residents access to artificial intelligence and career certificate training programs at no cost through Grow with Google.^[1]

The MA AI Hub’s Grow with Google page says Massachusetts residents receive no-cost access until December 31, 2027, to the Google AI Professional Certificate, Google AI Essentials, Google Agile Essentials, and Google Career Certificates, including examples such as Data Analytics, IT Support, and Project Management.^[1]

Programs listed by the Massachusetts AI Hub

Program	What it provides	Best fit
Google AI Professional Certificate	Multi-course AI fluency certificate with hands-on activities and portfolio-building; includes three months of Google AI Pro for enrollees.	Workers, students, jobseekers, small-business owners, executives, nonprofit staff
Google AI Essentials	Introductory generative AI fundamentals, productivity, prompting, responsible use, and staying current.	Beginners and busy professionals
Google Agile Essentials	Agile project-management basics.	Managers, team leads, project coordinators
Google Career Certificates	Examples listed by MA AI Hub include Data Analytics, IT Support, and Project Management.	Jobseekers, career changers, incumbent workers

The most important AI-tool access detail

The Google AI Professional Certificate is not just a training program. The MA AI Hub page states that every learner who enrolls in the AI Certificate also receives three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro. That appears to be the most concrete free AI tool access currently available to all Massachusetts residents under the Healey-Google partnership.^[2]

What the Google AI Professional Certificate covers

The MA AI Hub describes the Google AI Professional Certificate as going beyond the basics with 20+ hands-on activities designed to build AI fluency. ^[4]

What Google AI Essentials covers

Google AI Essentials appears to be the better starting point for residents who want a shorter, less technical introduction. The MA AI Hub page lists five modules: Intro to AI; Maximize Productivity With AI Tools; Discover the Art of Prompting; Use AI Responsibly; and Stay Ahead of the AI Curve.^[5]

This is likely the best starting point for residents who are not yet sure they want a full certificate.

How residents access it

The MA AI Hub page describes a four-step process: residents express interest through a short form, begin the chosen online course at their own pace, complete the program and earn a Google credential, and may share their success story.^[1]

2. What Is Available by Audience Segment?

Figure 2. Who Gets What? Massachusetts AI Access by Audience

A. Individual Massachusetts residents

Most relevant benefit: no-cost Grow with Google training through the MA AI Hub. This includes AI training and career certificates through December 31, 2027, plus three months of Google AI Pro for those enrolling in the Google AI Professional Certificate.^[1][2]

Best starting point: Google AI Essentials for AI beginners; Google AI Professional Certificate for people who want deeper fluency, a credential, portfolio-style activities, and the included three months of Google AI Pro.

B. Students

Students can use the statewide Google training if they are Massachusetts residents. The partnership serves students, employees, and small-business owners across the Commonwealth.^[1]

There is also a targeted Massachusetts High School Summer Career Academy in AI, launched in summer 2025 as a pilot involving 50 high school students from eight sending districts, with priority for Gateway City schools or regional consortia. Students in grades 9-12 learned AI fundamentals, how AI is used in generative AI, health, autonomous vehicles, and business decisions, and also worked with Python, AI ethics, bias, group projects, mentorship, career workshops, and a showcase event.^[6]

C. Educators and schools

The most specific educator initiative is Future Ready: AI in the Classroom, a professional-development pilot launched in June 2025 in partnership with Project Lead The Way. The state made a $135,000 investment supporting teachers in 45 classrooms and it is estimated it would reach more than 1,600 students.^[7]

Future Ready is a 50-hour professional-development pilot for high school STEM educators, launched with the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council and Project Lead The Way. It is described as the first-in-the-nation pilot of PLTW’s AI curriculum and is intended to help educators bring AI into STEM classrooms responsibly and practically.^[8]

D. Nonprofits

Nonprofit staff who are Massachusetts residents can use the no-cost Grow with Google resident training.^[1]

The MA AI Hub’s Additional AI Training Resources page points nonprofits toward Microsoft AI training pathways, where AI-powered solutions can help nonprofits transform operations, improve agility, increase transparency, and improve measurable outcomes.^[10]

The AI Hub’s infrastructure and ecosystem programs are also relevant to nonprofit institutions involved in research, education, workforce development, public-interest technology, or applied AI projects. For example, the Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources program dedicates at least 40% of compute time will be dedicated to startups, entrepreneurs, and partner institutions including non-member colleges and nonprofits statewide.^[11]

E. Small businesses and employers

The Google partnership is designed to provide every resident and small business with AI and tech skills needed to succeed in the digital economy.^[1]

For small businesses, one of the most useful immediate pathways is for owners and staff to enroll in Google AI Essentials or the Google AI Professional Certificate; use the three months of Google AI Pro included with AI Professional Certificate enrollment; and then apply AI to productivity, customer communications, research, content creation, data analysis, planning, and lightweight app-building.^[1][2]

For AI startups and AI-enabled companies, the AI Hub’s compute resources, applied AI grants, startup accelerator ecosystem, and job board support these ventures. The Open Accelerator is a Boston initiative to empower Massachusetts AI founders with networks, knowledge, skills, workspace, mentorship, GPU access, hackathons, and community.^[12]

F. Public-sector workers

Massachusetts is also deploying AI inside state government. On February 13, 2026, Governor Healey announced a ChatGPT-powered AI Assistant for the state workforce. The executive branch includes nearly 40,000 employees.  The tool is intended to provide a safe, secure environment that protects state data.^[13]

WBUR reported that the ChatGPT-powered assistant would be phased in across the almost 40,000-employee executive branch, starting with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, and that the state was also rolling out optional training programs for employees using the assistant.^[14]

Separately, EOTSS formed a partnership with InnovateUS to deliver generative AI training for its employees. The  training is available to all TSS staff, free of charge, and consists of five modules.^[15]

3. Broader AI Infrastructure and Innovation Supports

Figure 3. Massachusetts AI Support Flywheel

A. Massachusetts AI Hub

The MA AI Hub was launched in 2024 as a key recommendation of the Massachusetts AI Strategic Task Force. Its mission is to connect, accelerate and scale AI initiatives that advance innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and public good across Massachusetts.^[3]

The AI Hub’s program areas include Applied AI Models Innovation Challenge, Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources, Data Commons Collaborative, Sector Spark, The Open Accelerator, Grow with Google, Additional AI Training Resources, Future Ready, and Summer Career Academy in AI.^[16]

B. Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources

In May 2025, Governor Healey announced a $31 million state grant to expand access to sustainable high-performance computing for AI innovation through the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center in Holyoke.^[17]

The MA AI Hub describes the Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources project as a $31 million grant to develop AICR at MGHPCC, operated by a consortium including Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, UMass, and Yale. The project is intended to make high-performance GPU and compute infrastructure more accessible to universities, startups, businesses, and communities across Massachusetts and beyond. The AICR cluster is the first phase of a planned $120 million public-private investment, with at least 40% of compute time dedicated to startups, entrepreneurs, and partner institutions including non-member colleges and nonprofits statewide.^[11]

C. Data Commons Collaborative

The MA AI Hub’s Data Commons Collaborative is a flagship initiative to unlock responsibly governed, high-quality shared data to fuel AI innovation. Initial focus sectors include life sciences, health care, robotics, financial services, advanced manufacturing, climate tech, and education.^[18]

D. Applied AI Models Innovation Challenge

In October 2025, the Healey-Driscoll Administration and MassTech announced $2,882,219 for seven projects through the Massachusetts AI Models Innovation Challenge. The program supports domain-specific AI model projects in sectors including health care, climate resiliency, robotics, and advanced manufacturing, and the funded projects brought more than $950,000 in matching funds from industry and academic partners.^[19]

The Challenge had launched in February 2025 with the goal of positioning Massachusetts as a leader in applied AI innovation, emphasizing domain-specific models that are more energy-efficient and easier to commercialize than generalized AI systems.^[19]

E. The Open Accelerator

The Open Accelerator is a Boston initiative involving the MA AI Hub, Red Hat, and IBM Ventures. It is designed to empower Massachusetts AI founders with networks, knowledge, skills, mentorship, workspace, GPU access, hackathons, and community.^[12]

4. Practical Recommendations

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For an individual resident

Start with Google AI Essentials if you are new to AI. It is structured, practical, and includes prompting and responsible use. Move to the Google AI Professional Certificate if you want deeper fluency, a credential, portfolio-style activities, and the included three months of Google AI Pro.^[1][2]

For a nonprofit leader

Have all senior staff and program staff complete Google AI Essentials, then identify a smaller group to complete the Google AI Professional Certificate. Use the MA AI Hub’s additional resources page to explore Microsoft and Anthropic learning paths for nonprofits.^[10]

For a school or youth-serving organization

Use Google AI Essentials as a baseline for adult staff, track DESE guidance and Future Ready expansions, and consider adapting the High School Summer Career Academy model into a local pilot. DESE’s December 2024 recommendations are especially useful for building safe-use policies, educator training, privacy guardrails, and AI literacy standards.^[6][7][9]

For small businesses

Use the Google AI Professional Certificate as a practical business-productivity training program. The course sequence covers planning, research, writing, content creation, data analysis, and app-building, all of which are directly relevant to small-business operations.^[4]

For public-sector workers

State executive-branch employees should watch for agency rollout of the ChatGPT-powered AI Assistant and associated training. Public servants outside that rollout can also explore InnovateUS’s public-sector AI courses, which are free and oriented toward responsible use of generative AI in government.^[13][15]

Endnotes

[1] Governor Healey and Google announced on February 26, 2026 that all Massachusetts residents would have access to AI and career certificate training programs at no cost through Grow with Google; the MA AI Hub identifies the specific programs and says no-cost access runs through December 31, 2027. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Governor Healey and Google Announce New Statewide Partnership to Provide Free AI Training to Residents’; MA AI Hub, ‘Grow with Google.’

[2] The MA AI Hub Grow with Google page states that learners who enroll in the Google AI Professional Certificate receive three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Grow with Google.’

[3] The Massachusetts AI Hub describes its mission as connecting, accelerating, and scaling AI initiatives for innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and public good. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘About MA AI Hub.’

[4] The MA AI Hub states that the Google AI Professional Certificate includes 20+ hands-on activities and courses in AI fundamentals, brainstorming and planning, research and insights, writing and communicating, content creation, data analysis, and app-building. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Grow with Google.’

[5] The MA AI Hub states that Google AI Essentials includes modules on AI basics, productivity with AI tools, prompting, responsible AI, and staying ahead of AI developments. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Grow with Google.’

[6] The Summer Career Academy in AI page states that the summer 2025 pilot engaged 50 high school students from eight districts and included AI fundamentals, Python, ethics and bias, career workshops, mentorship, and group projects. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘MA High School Summer Career Academy in AI.’

[7] The Future Ready initiative was launched in June 2025 as a $135,000 professional-development pilot in partnership with Project Lead The Way, supporting teachers in 45 classrooms and estimated to reach more than 1,600 students. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches Future Ready: AI in the Classroom for Educators.’

[8] The MA AI Hub describes Future Ready as a 50-hour professional-development pilot for high school STEM educators launched with the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council and Project Lead The Way. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Future Ready.’

[9] DESE’s December 2024 AI recommendations call for AI literacy resources, curated AI tools, enterprise-level AI tools, no-cost professional learning for educators, student data privacy training, sample district policies, integration into educator preparation, and incorporation of AI literacy into Massachusetts curriculum frameworks. Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, ‘Integrating Artificial Intelligence: Massachusetts AI Task Force Recommendations.’

[10] The MA AI Hub’s Additional AI Training Resources page includes Microsoft and Anthropic resources and a nonprofit-focused Microsoft AI training pathway. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Additional AI Training Resources.’

[11] The Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources page states the AICR project is a $31 million grant at MGHPCC, the first phase of a planned $120 million public-private investment, and that at least 40% of compute time will be dedicated to startups, entrepreneurs, and partner institutions including non-member colleges and nonprofits statewide. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources.’

[12] The Open Accelerator describes itself as a Boston initiative involving MA AI Hub, Red Hat, and IBM Ventures to support Massachusetts AI founders with mentorship, GPU access, hackathons, and community. Source: The Open Accelerator website.

[13] The February 2026 state announcement describes a ChatGPT-powered AI Assistant for the executive branch, covering nearly 40,000 state employees in a phased rollout. Source: Mass.gov, ‘Governor Healey Announces Massachusetts to Become First State to Deploy ChatGPT Across Executive Branch.’

[14] WBUR reported that the ChatGPT-powered assistant would be phased in across the nearly 40,000-employee executive branch and that optional training programs would be rolled out for employees using the assistant. Source: WBUR, ‘Massachusetts launching ChatGPT assistant across executive branch.’

[15] EOTSS announced a November 2025 partnership with InnovateUS to provide generative AI training to Technology Services and Security staff. Source: Mass.gov, ‘EOTSS Announces Workforce Training Partnership with InnovateUS.’

[16] The MA AI Hub homepage lists program areas including Grow with Google, Applied AI Models Innovation Challenge, Additional AI Training Resources, Future Ready, and other AI Hub initiatives. Source: MA AI Hub homepage.

[17] The May 2025 MA AI Hub update announced a $31 million state grant for AI compute resources, the hiring of the AI Hub’s first director, and exploration of an IBM/Red Hat startup accelerator. Source: MassTech, ‘Governor Healey Advances State’s AI Leadership with Major Investments in Massachusetts AI Hub.’

[18] The MA AI Hub’s Data Commons Collaborative is intended to unlock responsibly governed, high-quality shared data to fuel AI innovation in sectors including life sciences, health care, robotics, financial services, advanced manufacturing, climate tech, and education. Source: MA AI Hub, ‘Data Commons Collaborative.’

[19] The October 2025 AI Models Innovation Challenge awards totaled $2,882,219 for seven projects, with more than $950,000 in matching funds. Source: MassTech, ‘Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $2.9 Million in Awards through Massachusetts AI Hub.’

Bibliography / Sources Researched

Accessed June 16, 2026. Sources listed here include those cited directly and related sources reviewed for context.

1. Massachusetts AI Hub – Grow with Google. https://aihub.masstech.org/google-certificates Primary source for no-cost resident access, covered programs, Dec. 31, 2027 end date, course descriptions, and Google AI Pro access.
2. MA AI Hub – Governor Healey and Google Announce New Statewide Partnership to Provide Free AI Training to Residents. https://aihub.masstech.org/news/governor-healey-and-google-announce-new-statewide-partnership-provide-free-ai-training Primary source for the February 26, 2026 announcement.
3. Massachusetts AI Hub – About MA AI Hub. https://aihub.masstech.org/about-ma-ai-hub Source for mission and launch context.
4. MassTech – Governor Healey Advances State’s AI Leadership with Major Investments in Massachusetts AI Hub. https://masstech.org/news/governor-healey-advances-states-ai-leadership-major-investments-massachusetts-ai-hub Source for $31 million compute grant, AI Hub director, and IBM/Red Hat accelerator exploration.
5. Massachusetts AI Hub – Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources. https://aihub.masstech.org/artificial-intelligence-compute-resources Source for AICR, MGHPCC partnership, 40% compute allocation, and planned $120 million public-private investment.
6. Massachusetts AI Hub – Additional AI Training Resources. https://aihub.masstech.org/additional-ai-training-resources Source for Microsoft AI Skills Navigator and Anthropic Academy references.
7. Massachusetts AI Hub – Future Ready. https://aihub.masstech.org/future-ready Source for Future Ready pilot details.
8. MA AI Hub – Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches Future Ready: AI in the Classroom for Educators. https://aihub.masstech.org/news/healey-driscoll-administration-launches-future-ready-ai-classroom-educators Source for $135,000 investment, 45 classrooms, and estimated 1,600 students.
9. Massachusetts AI Hub – MA High School Summer Career Academy in AI. https://aihub.masstech.org/ma-high-school-summer-career-academy-ai Source for the summer 2025 pilot.
10. Massachusetts AI Hub – Data Commons Collaborative. https://aihub.masstech.org/data-commons-collaborative Source for data-access strategy and priority sectors.
11. MassTech – Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $2.9 Million in Awards through Massachusetts AI Hub. https://masstech.org/news/healey-driscoll-administration-announces-29-million-awards-through-massachusetts-ai-hub Source for AI Models Innovation Challenge awards.
12. Massachusetts Capital Budget – D050 Applied AI Hub. https://budget.digital.mass.gov/capital/fy25/beneficiary-agency/economic-development/eo-of-economic-development/d050/ Source for FY2025 and FY2025-FY2029 capital budget figures.
13. Massachusetts DESE – Integrating Artificial Intelligence: Massachusetts AI Task Force Recommendations. https://www.doe.mass.edu/edtech/ai/integrating-artificial-intelligence.pdf Source for K-12 recommendations.
14. Mass.gov – Governor Healey Announces Massachusetts to Become First State to Deploy ChatGPT Across Executive Branch. https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-announces-massachusetts-to-become-first-state-to-deploy-chatgpt-across-executive-branch Source for public-sector AI Assistant announcement.
15. Mass.gov – EOTSS Announces Workforce Training Partnership with InnovateUS. https://www.mass.gov/news/eotss-announces-workforce-training-partnership-with-innovateus Source for generative AI training for state technology staff.
16. WBUR – Massachusetts launching ChatGPT assistant across executive branch. https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/02/17/massachusetts-healey-ai-chatgpt-contract Used to corroborate executive-branch AI Assistant rollout and employee training context.
17. The Open Accelerator. https://the-open-accelerator.com/ Reviewed for AI startup ecosystem support, mentorship, GPU access, and community.
18. CommCorp – Massachusetts Launches Free Online AI Training for Residents. https://commcorp.org/blog/massachusetts-launches-free-online-ai-training-for-residents Reviewed as workforce-system amplification of the Google AI training opportunity.
19. MassHire Greater New Bedford – Free AI Training Now Available for Residents of Massachusetts. https://masshiregreaternewbedford.com/free-ai-training-now-available-for-residents-of-massachusetts/ Reviewed as MassHire dissemination of the Google training offer.
20. MassHire Central Career Center – Free Google AI Training. https://masshirecentralcc.com/training/free-google-ai-training/ Reviewed as MassHire dissemination of the Google training offer.
21. InnovateUS – Artificial Intelligence for the Public Sector. https://innovate-us.org/workshop-series/artificial-intelligence-for-the-public-sector/ Reviewed for free public-sector AI training context.
22. Mass Open Cloud Alliance – $100 Million State AI Investment. https://massopen.cloud/100-million-state-ai-investment-leveraging-moc-alliance-infrastructure/ Reviewed for AI Hub/MGHPCC infrastructure context.
23. Axios Boston – Free AI training is coming to all Massachusetts residents. https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/26/healey-google-ai-training-massachusetts Reviewed for media confirmation of Google partnership.
24. Axios Boston – Massachusetts taps tech leaders for AI task force. https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/02/14/massachusetts-ai-task-force-members-chosen Reviewed for February 2024 AI Task Force context.