Entrepreneurship & Small Business Support

The House Small Business Committee advanced two bipartisan bills aimed at strengthening small business AI capabilities. The AI for Mainstreet Act directs the Small Business Administration's Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to provide "information, guidance, and training" to small businesses on AI adoption, including leveraging AI for business operations, protecting data and intellectual property, and improving cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. The bill builds on the existing AI U Program, an SBDC initiative with backing from Google. The AI-WISE Act (AI Wisdom for Innovative Small Enterprises) charges the SBA Administrator with creating AI educational resources and learning modules covering how to identify AI risks, evaluate whether AI tools fit specific business needs, and coordinate with third-party AI vendors. Sponsors emphasized that businesses in rural communities often lack the resources and information needed to facilitate technology adoption independently.

Google committed $10 million in funding to America's Small Business Development Centers to establish "America's SBDC AI U," a national program providing foundational AI training and one-on-one coaching to help 100,000 small businesses leverage AI's potential. The initiative includes AI Clinics at SBDCs housed on university and community college campuses, where trained advisors and students provide hands-on instruction to local businesses. SBDC advisors receive scholarships to the Google AI Essentials certification course, and Grow with Google launched an accompanying workshop featuring case studies, demonstrations, and prompting exercises available on demand.