Google backs consultant AI

Google Cloud is putting $750 million behind consultants to speed up how large companies build and use artificial intelligence agents. (bloomberg.com) Google announced the fund on April 22 at its Cloud Next conference in Las Vegas. The money will go to consulting firms, systems integrators, software partners and channel partners across Google Cloud’s 120,000-member partner ecosystem. (googlecloudpresscorner.com) Early participants include McKinsey, Accenture and Deloitte, and Google said DeepMind will give select firms early access to Gemini models before wider release. Google engineers will also work with consulting firms on customer projects. (bloomberg.com) The pitch is not just software. Google is paying for the people in the middle — firms that map business problems, redesign workflows, train staff and connect new tools to old corporate systems. (channeldive.com) That reflects how “agentic AI” is being sold to big companies in 2026. Instead of a chatbot that answers questions, an agent is meant to carry out a sequence of tasks, like pulling data, drafting work, routing approvals and handing results back to employees. (blog.google) McKinsey and Google Cloud used the announcement to launch a joint McKinsey Google Transformation Group. The companies said the unit will combine McKinsey’s strategy and delivery work with Google Cloud’s infrastructure and AI tools for enterprise clients. (mckinsey.com) Google is also trying to deepen its bench against larger cloud rivals by turning partners into a distribution channel for AI products. Channel Dive reported that part of the fund will pay for AI value assessments, agent prototyping tools and new practices built around Google’s Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. (channeldive.com) CRN reported that the fund arrived alongside Google’s broader Cloud Next 2026 push on Gemini, custom chips and enterprise agents. Google executive Satish Thomas told the outlet the program is meant to help partners “transition and thrive in this agentic enterprise.” (crn.com) The immediate bet is that companies will buy AI through advisers they already trust, not straight from a model maker. Google’s $750 million says the race now includes the consultants standing between cloud vendors and corporate budgets. (bloomberg.com, googlecloudpresscorner.com)