The Pulse
Goldman Sachs Pledges $500 Million for Small-Business AI
Goldman Sachs committed $500 million to launch a Small Business AI Institute and expand its 10,000 Small Businesses program to another 10,000 businesses. A survey of program alumni found that AI use is widespread, but only 15% say it is ful
AI.info Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
Among Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses alumni, 86% say they use AI, but only 15% say it is fully integrated into their core operations. Goldman announced a $500 million commitment on October 22, 2026, to address that gap, launching a Small Business AI Institute and expanding the existing program to support another 10,000 businesses. The figures come from a survey of 2,473 program alumni, not a representative poll of all U.S. small businesses.
One commitment, three strands of support
The new funding covers the next chapter of Goldman’s 10,000 Small Businesses program, which offers education, access to capital and support services. The bank says the commitment will extend those services to another 10,000 businesses; it does not specify how much of the $500 million is earmarked for the institute itself. The program began in 2010, and nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs across all 50 states and four U.S. territories have completed it.
Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon tied the effort to job creation. In the announcement, Solomon said:
“Every major technology shift has rewarded the businesses that adapt most quickly.”
The firm says the program’s graduates together represent more than $32 billion in annual revenue and 350,000 jobs, and have added jobs four times faster than similarly sized U.S. businesses.
Anthropic, Google, Meta and OpenAI take different roles
The institute’s initial plans divide work among four technology partners. Anthropic will help develop a learning series on applied AI for small businesses, workshops for program alumni and research collaborations. Google will offer its Grow with Google AI Professional certificate to nearly 20,000 small-business owners and employees, with three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro.
Meta will provide AI tools and training through Muse for Small Business, while OpenAI will run tailored workshops through the program’s community college partners. Goldman also says the institute will publish research on small-business AI use and support AI-enabled expansions to access to capital. The announcement does not provide a schedule for those activities.
Use is spreading faster than integration
Goldman’s October 2026 report shows AI use among surveyed alumni rising from 56% in 2024 to 86% in 2026. Yet just 15% of all graduates surveyed say AI is fully integrated into core operations, and 77% say they would benefit from additional training and resources. Among graduates who do not use AI, 45% say they do not know how to apply it to their business; others cite data privacy and concerns about inaccurate or unreliable results.
The report describes how that support can matter in day-to-day work. Dr. LaTeasha Gaither-Davis, founder of the Arkansas-based pediatric therapy practice Therapeutic Focus, uses AI to clarify employee manuals, build spreadsheets and conduct competitive analyses for a brand refresh and website redesign. Gaither-Davis writes:
“I see so much potential for using AI in my business. I’ve just started and already I have hours back that let me focus more on growing my business and delivering high-quality care to my patients.”
Goldman has not disclosed how it will divide the $500 million among training, capital access and other support.