THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER GAMES. IT’S NO SECRET AI CONTINUES TO HAVE MORE INFLUENCE ON OUR DAILY LIVES. NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THE FUTURE IS GOING TO GO IN RELATION TO HOW AI IS GOING TO INTEGRATE IN OUR LIFE, BUT WE KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVES AND IT’S NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON. GOOGLE ANNOUNCED FRIDAY THEY’RE WORKING WITH THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER TO PREPARE RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES FOR AN EVOLVING WORKFORCE. WITH A $5 MILLION INVESTMENT THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP, THE TEAM WILL EMBARK ON NEW AI SPORTS PROGRAMING FOR STUDENTS, TRAINING FOR EDUCATORS AND MORE. BUT WE KNOW THAT THE THUNDER CAN PROVIDE A PLATFORM WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH GOOGLE AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AND LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS TO PUT OKLAHOMANS IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO SUCCEED, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE. THE DOLLARS WILL ALSO BE USED TO HELP LAUNCH AN AI MASTER’S PROGRAM AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY. EXPAND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND OTHER EDUCATION INITIATIVES LIKE TULSA REGIONAL STEM ALLIANCE’S NEW DIGITAL BADGING PROGRAM. THOMAS KIDD TELLS US HE USES AI IN HIS STUDIES ALREADY TO ANALYZE PAPERS AND WRITE CODES. HE CAN SEE HOW OTHERS CAN BENEFIT FROM IT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. IT HELPED ME HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, BUT I CAN ALSO BECOME EXTREMELY RELIANT ON USING THE TOOLS, SO I HAVE TO BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF HOW I’M USING IT TO MAKE SURE I’M NOT SHOOTING MYSELF OUT OF ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDING THE MATERIAL.
Google invests $5 million in AI initiatives with Oklahoma City Thunder
Google announced a $5 million investment to collaborate with the Oklahoma City Thunder on AI programs aimed at preparing residents for an evolving workforce.
Updated: 5:04 PM CST Nov 7, 2025
Google announced a $5 million investment Friday to collaborate with the Oklahoma City Thunder on artificial intelligence initiatives designed to prepare residents of all ages for an evolving workforce, including new sports programming for students and training for educators.>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel”No one knows where the future’s going to go, how AI’s going to integrate into our life, but we know it’s going to be a part of our lives, and it’s not going away anytime soon,” said Will Syring, vice president of corporate partnerships for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Through this partnership, the Thunder will provide a platform for discussions with Google, legislative leaders and local businesses to position Oklahomans for success in the future. “At the Thunder, we provide a platform. We can have the good conversations with Google, with legislative leaders, local businesses,” Syring said. “Put Oklahomans in the position to succeed no matter what happens in the future.”The investment will also support the launch of an AI master’s program at Oklahoma State University, expand workforce development programs and fund educational initiatives like the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance’s new digital badging program.Thomas Kidd, an OSU master’s student in electrical engineering, shared his experience using AI in his studies to analyze papers and write code, noting its benefits both inside and outside the classroom. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.”It helped me do my classes better, it helped me have a life outside of school, but I can’t become truly reliant on the tool, so I have to be conscious of how I’m using it to make sure I’m not cheating myself out of understanding the material,” Kidd said.Top HeadlinesOklahoma City crews pull body from water after drowning at Lake OverholserSlime, Battleship and Trivial Pursuit join the Toy Hall of FameTrump administration seeks to halt SNAP food aid payments after a court orderBody camera footage reveals events leading to fatal police shootingOklahoma family seeks help to recover stolen sign from ‘Rain Man’ film location
OKLAHOMA CITY —
Google announced a $5 million investment Friday to collaborate with the Oklahoma City Thunder on artificial intelligence initiatives designed to prepare residents of all ages for an evolving workforce, including new sports programming for students and training for educators.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel
“No one knows where the future’s going to go, how AI’s going to integrate into our life, but we know it’s going to be a part of our lives, and it’s not going away anytime soon,” said Will Syring, vice president of corporate partnerships for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Through this partnership, the Thunder will provide a platform for discussions with Google, legislative leaders and local businesses to position Oklahomans for success in the future.
“At the Thunder, we provide a platform. We can have the good conversations with Google, with legislative leaders, local businesses,” Syring said. “Put Oklahomans in the position to succeed no matter what happens in the future.”
The investment will also support the launch of an AI master’s program at Oklahoma State University, expand workforce development programs and fund educational initiatives like the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance’s new digital badging program.
Thomas Kidd, an OSU master’s student in electrical engineering, shared his experience using AI in his studies to analyze papers and write code, noting its benefits both inside and outside the classroom.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
“It helped me do my classes better, it helped me have a life outside of school, but I can’t become truly reliant on the tool, so I have to be conscious of how I’m using it to make sure I’m not cheating myself out of understanding the material,” Kidd said.
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