On October 22, 2026 Goldman Sachs announced a new $500 million commitment and launched the Goldman Sachs Small Business AI Institute. The institute is designed to help small businesses across the United States bring artificial intelligence into their everyday operations. The initiative is carried out in partnership with the world's leading AI companies — Anthropic, Google, Meta and OpenAI. The new funding will finance the next phase of the 10,000 Small Businesses program, running since 2010: training, access to capital and support services will reach an additional 10,000 businesses.
Four Partners — Four Programs
The institute's initial work is organized along separate tracks with each partner. Together with Anthropic it will develop a new education series on practical AI for small business, run hands-on workshops for 10,000 Small Businesses alumni, and conduct joint research on AI use in small business. Through the Google partnership, the Grow with Google AI Professional certificate will reach nearly 20,000 small business owners and their employees — paired with three months of free Google AI Pro access. Meta will support entrepreneurs through the institute with AI tools and training via Muse for Small Business. OpenAI will run dedicated AI workshops together with community college partners across the country.
Each partner brings its flagship products and expertise: Anthropic — improving workflows with Claude and integrating AI into products; Google — a professional certificate and AI Pro tools; Meta — reaching more than 200 million small businesses through Muse tools on its platforms; OpenAI — practical training on building businesses with ChatGPT. The press release notes that these partnerships make up the initial phase of the institute's work.
Executives from the partner companies also commented on the initiative. OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman said he believes AI will create an unprecedented surge in entrepreneurship. Anthropic co-founder and president Daniela Amodei stressed that AI's benefits should reach not only large corporations but startups and family businesses as well. Alphabet and Google president Ruth Porat noted that nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs will receive practical tools. Meta president and vice chair Dina Powell McCormick reminded that more than 200 million small businesses operate on the company's platforms.
Three Core Pillars
The institute's work rests on three pillars. The first is providing high-quality AI education to small business owners nationwide. The second is publishing research on how small businesses use AI. The third is supporting expanded access to capital for small businesses with the help of AI. According to Dow Jones Newswires, the institute will work systematically along exactly these three lines.
Survey: AI Use Surged, but Integration Lags
Survey results from more than 2,400 10,000 Small Businesses alumni, released the day the institute launched, paint the picture: 86% of respondents said they use AI in their business — up from 56% in 2024. At the same time, only 15% reported fully integrating AI into core operations. More than three quarters of alumni stressed they need additional training and resources. It is precisely this gap that the institute's education programs are meant to close.
A 15-Year Program: 20,000 Entrepreneurs, 350,000 Jobs
The Small Business AI Institute launches as a continuation of Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses program. Since the program began in 2010, nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs from 50 states and four U.S. territories have completed it. According to the company, alumni create jobs four times faster than comparable U.S. businesses and account for more than $32 billion in annual revenue and over 350,000 jobs. A total of $1.25 billion has been committed to the program.
"Goldman Sachs has been investing in small business for more than 15 years because that is where jobs are created. Every major technological shift has rewarded the businesses that adapted fastest. This commitment ensures that the entrepreneurs creating American jobs will lead in the AI economy," said Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO David Solomon.
More information about the institute is available at gs.com/SBAI. Details in the Goldman Sachs press release and the Dow Jones Newswires story (Morningstar).
