Short answer: The old "13 courses" framing is stale. Google Skills is now Google's central learning platform, with nearly 3,000 courses, labs, and credentials from Google Cloud, Google DeepMind, Grow with Google, and Google for Education. If you are new to AI, start with Google AI Essentials or Beginner: Introduction to Generative AI. If you write code, start with Machine Learning Crash Course, then Gemini for Google Cloud or Advanced: Generative AI for Developers. If you want a resume credential, look at the Google AI Professional Certificate.
- Google announced Google Skills as a new learning platform in October 2025.
- Google says the platform brings together nearly 3,000 courses, labs, and credentials.
- The platform includes content from Google Cloud, Google DeepMind, Grow with Google, and Google for Education.
- Google says learners completed more than 26 million courses, labs, and credentials in the prior year across the programs now brought together.
- Google Skills Starter is listed at no cost with 35 free credits each month.
- Google Skills Pro is listed at $29 per month for unlimited hands-on labs and access to thousands of courses and labs.
- Google Career Certificates are listed separately from the Google Skills Pro subscription.
- The Google AI Professional Certificate has 7 courses and 20+ hands-on activities, according to Grow with Google.
This article was updated after checking official Google pages only. The useful question is no longer "which 13 courses should I take?" It is "which Google path matches the work I actually do?"
Google's AI training now spans two main surfaces. Grow with Google is better for general workplace AI, job search, educators, students, and small businesses. Google Skills is better for Google Cloud, Gemini, labs, skill badges, certifications, and technical learning paths.
What changed
The stale parts from the old version.
Old claim vs current official-source version
| Old framing | Current correction |
|---|---|
| There are 13 courses that matter | There are multiple current paths. The right one depends on beginner, developer, cloud, Workspace, or job-search use. |
| Google Skills is mainly one ranked catalog | Google Skills is a platform with courses, labs, paths, skill badges, certificates, and subscriptions. |
| AI Essentials is simply free to audit | Google lists AI Essentials as a 5-hour course. Certificate pricing and access depend on the course platform and region. |
| DeepMind AI Research Foundations and AI Boost Bites are fixed top picks | Those were removed because I could not verify them as current top picks from official pages checked for this update. |
| Most of the catalog is filler | That is an opinion, not an official-source claim. The update focuses on which official paths fit which audience. |
Best Google AI training picks
Pick by role, not by a generic ranking.
Current picks from official Google sources
| Pick | Official source says | Best for | My read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Professional Certificate | 7 courses and 20+ hands-on activities. | People who want a broad workplace AI credential. | Best resume-oriented Google AI option. |
| Google AI Essentials | 5-hour course for generative AI fundamentals and practical AI tools. | Beginners and non-technical workers. | Best first course if you do not want cloud labs. |
| Accelerate Your Job Search with AI | 6-hour course using AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM for job search. | Job seekers. | Useful only if you are actively applying. |
| AI for Educators | 2-hour course for using generative AI in teaching tasks. | Teachers and education staff. | Narrow, but official and practical. |
| Beginner: Introduction to Generative AI | 5-activity Google Skills path covering gen AI, LLMs, and responsible AI. | Beginners who want Google Cloud badges. | Strong no-cost technical starting path. |
| Machine Learning Crash Course | Google's practical ML introduction with videos, visualizations, and exercises. | Developers learning ML foundations. | Still the best developer foundation. |
| Gemini for Google Cloud | 8-activity path for using Gemini across developer, data, cloud, architecture, and security work. | Google Cloud users. | Best Gemini path for cloud teams. |
| Advanced: Generative AI for Developers | 12-activity technical path for developers, ML engineers, and data scientists. | Technical builders. | Take after the intro path, not before. |
| Google Workspace with Gemini | 8-activity path for Gemini features in Google Workspace. | Workspace admins and power users. | Best if your daily work is Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Workspace. |
| Introduction to Agents and Google's Agent Ecosystem | 4-activity path for agent architecture and Google's agent stack. | Agent builders and Gemini Enterprise teams. | Most relevant if agents are your 2026 priority. |
If you are new to AI
Start with the least painful path.
Start with Google AI Essentials if you want everyday AI skills and do not care about Google Cloud labs. Google lists it as a 5-hour course that covers generative AI fundamentals and practical AI tools for work.
Start with Beginner: Introduction to Generative AI if you want a Google Skills learning path. Google Skills lists it as a 5-activity path managed by Google Cloud, covering generative AI concepts from LLM fundamentals to responsible AI principles.
If you are job hunting, take Accelerate Your Job Search with AI after the basics. Grow with Google lists it as a 6-hour course using tools like Gemini and NotebookLM to plan a search, manage applications, and practice interviews.
Do not overbuy at the start
Use the Starter tier and free/no-cost options first. Move to a paid certificate only when the credential itself has a purpose: a resume, internal training requirement, or career change.
If you write code
The developer path through Google training.
Machine Learning Crash Course is still the first serious stop. Google describes it as a practical introduction to machine learning with animated videos, interactive visualizations, and hands-on exercises. The current course includes modules on regression, classification, data, neural networks, embeddings, large language models, production ML systems, AutoML, and ML fairness.
After that, choose based on the stack:
Not sure which AI model to use?
12 models · Personalized picks · 60 seconds
- Use Gemini for Google Cloud if you work in Google Cloud and want Gemini help across app development, APIs, data, architecture, and security.
- Use Advanced: Generative AI for Developers if you want a more technical generative AI path for developers, ML engineers, and data scientists.
- Use Introduction to Agents and Google's Agent Ecosystem if you are specifically building or evaluating agents on Google's stack.
If your team uses Google Cloud
Prioritize paths that map to actual work.
Google Skills is strongest when the training connects to a Google Cloud workflow. The official launch pages call out courses, labs, credentials, skill badges, and organization features. Google Cloud also says cloud customers continue to get access to the Google Cloud content library for free on Google Skills.
Google Cloud team picks
| Need | Start here | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Basic gen AI literacy | Beginner: Introduction to Generative AI | Short, structured, and managed by Google Cloud. |
| Gemini across cloud work | Gemini for Google Cloud | Role coverage includes developers, data analysts, cloud engineers, architects, and security engineers. |
| Developer gen AI depth | Advanced: Generative AI for Developers | Technical path with 12 activities. |
| Agent work | Introduction to Agents and Google's Agent Ecosystem | Current Google Skills path for agent architecture and Google's agent stack. |
| Workspace productivity | Google Workspace with Gemini | Best match for teams already standardized on Workspace. |
What it costs
Official Google pricing language only.
Google Skills subscription options
| Plan | Official listing | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | No cost, 35 free credits every month. | Good for trying hands-on labs and earning some skill badges. |
| Pro | $29 per month. | Unlocks unlimited hands-on labs and access to thousands of courses and labs. |
| Developer Premium | Price calculated at checkout. | Annual premium option with developer benefits. Check your account for exact price. |
| Career Certificates | $49 per month or $349 per year. | Separate subscription for Google Career Certificates, not included in Google Skills Pro. |
Pricing can vary by country, account type, and checkout flow. I would not budget from a blog post alone. Use the Google Skills subscription page before paying.
Google Skills vs Anthropic Academy
They solve different problems.
Platform comparison
| Area | Google Skills | Anthropic Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Google Cloud, Gemini, Workspace, ML foundations, certificates, labs. | Claude, Claude Code, MCP, agent skills, Claude-specific workflows. |
| Catalog shape | Large platform with paths, labs, skill badges, certificates, subscriptions. | Smaller official academy focused on Anthropic products. |
| Best beginner start | Google AI Essentials or Beginner: Introduction to Generative AI. | Introduction to Claude and role-specific Claude courses. |
| Best developer start | Machine Learning Crash Course, Gemini for Google Cloud, or Advanced: Generative AI for Developers. | Claude Code 101 and Claude Code in action. |
| Credential angle | Google AI Professional Certificate, skill badges, Google Cloud credentials. | Anthropic Academy course completions and Claude certification path. |
Use Anthropic Academy if Claude is your daily tool. Use Google Skills if your team lives in Google Cloud, Gemini, Workspace, or wants a broader AI training catalog. If OpenAI Academy is also on your shortlist, read the three-way OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Skills comparison.
What to take first
The practical order.
Recommended path
- 1New to AI at work: Google AI Essentials.
- 2New to generative AI but technical: Beginner: Introduction to Generative AI.
- 3Developer with ML gaps: Machine Learning Crash Course.
- 4Google Cloud user: Gemini for Google Cloud.
- 5Workspace-heavy team: Google Workspace with Gemini.
- 6Agent work in 2026: Introduction to Agents and Google's Agent Ecosystem.
- 7Need a credential for a resume or internal program: Google AI Professional Certificate.
The main mistake is starting with the biggest credential because it feels official. Start with the smallest path that matches your actual work. If the first course changes how you write prompts, use Gemini, clean data, or plan a workflow, then pay for more structure.
Official sources checked
Google pages used for this update.
- Google Blog: Start learning all things AI on the new Google Skills
- Google Cloud Blog: Google Skills, your new home for Google AI learning and more
- Grow with Google: AI courses and tools from Google
- Google Skills: subscriptions
- Google Skills Help: Purchase and manage a subscription
- Google for Developers: Machine Learning Crash Course
- Google Skills: Beginner: Introduction to Generative AI
- Google Skills: Gemini for Google Cloud
- Google Skills: Advanced: Generative AI for Developers
- Google Skills: Google Workspace with Gemini
- Google Skills: Introduction to Agents and Google's Agent Ecosystem
- Google Skills: Google AI Professional Certificate
FAQ
Is Google Skills free?
Google Skills has a Starter subscription listed at no cost with 35 free credits each month. Google Skills Pro is listed at $29 per month. Career Certificates are listed separately at $49 per month or $349 per year.
Is Google AI Essentials free?
Google lists AI Essentials as a 5-hour course on Grow with Google. I am not making a blanket "free to audit" claim here because pricing and certificate access can depend on the platform and region. Check the linked Google/Coursera flow before enrolling.
What is the Google AI Professional Certificate?
Grow with Google says the Google AI Professional Certificate includes seven courses and 20+ hands-on activities. It is the better option if you want a credential and portfolio-style workplace AI practice instead of a quick intro.
Which course should a developer take first?
Take Machine Learning Crash Course if you need ML foundations. If you already know ML and work inside Google Cloud, start with Gemini for Google Cloud or Advanced: Generative AI for Developers.
Should I take Google Skills or Anthropic Academy?
Take Google Skills for Google Cloud, Gemini, Workspace, ML foundations, and credentials. Take Anthropic Academy for Claude, Claude Code, MCP, and Anthropic-specific agent workflows.
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