Published: January 24, 2025
We're thrilled to announce the initial launch of the Web AI Acceleration Fund, a new initiative from Chrome aimed at fostering AI innovation and adoption within the open web ecosystem.
Building on the success of our previous efforts, including the Chrome Framework Fund, Open Source CMS Fund, and the Advanced Web Apps Fund, this new fund demonstrates Chrome's commitment to supporting developers as they push the boundaries of what's possible with AI on the web.
Why AI on the web?
The web platform offers unique advantages for AI: universal accessibility, instant updates, cross-platform compatibility, and seamless integration with existing web technologies.
- Universal access: AI capabilities become instantly available to billions of users across all devices and operating systems without requiring native app installation.
- Developer familiarity: Web technologies allow developers to use their existing skills and tools while to implement AI, instead of needing to become machine learning experts.
- Progressive enhancement: AI features can be added incrementally while maintaining compatibility with older browsers and devices.
- Rapid iteration: Developers can continuously improve and deploy AI features without waiting for app store approvals or user updates.
- Collaborative development: The web's rich ecosystem of frameworks and tools enables developers to build on each other's work.
By focusing on web-based AI solutions, we can democratize access to AI capabilities while leveraging the web's inherent strengths in distribution and deployment. Through this fund, we aim to accelerate innovation in areas that maximize these inherent advantages of the web platform.
Fund objectives and focus
The Web AI Acceleration Fund has several key objectives:
- Address specific pain points in AI adoption for web developers
- Support the development and maintenance of key AI libraries and tools
- Foster innovation in web-based AI technologies
- Encourage the creation of AI-powered web applications
Our fund concentrates on four primary areas:
- Empowering developers to build AI with JavaScript
- Enabling LLMs in-browser with the WebGPU API and built-in AI APIs
- Driving framework ecosystem support for in-browser AI
- Supporting the creation and usage of AI-powered developer tools and utilities
How it works
The Web AI Acceleration Fund will be established on the Open Collective platform, providing transparency and accountability in fund allocation. We'll be supporting a variety of initiatives, including:
- Enhancing existing AI libraries for the web
- Developing new tools to optimize AI performance in browsers
- Creating educational resources and demos
- Supporting the integration of AI capabilities into popular web frameworks
Get involved
Are you working on an open-source project that aligns with our goals? We want to hear from you! We encourage developers and maintainers to start thinking about how this fund could support their AI-related web projects.
Looking ahead
The Web AI Acceleration Fund represents an exciting step forward in Chrome's ongoing commitment to fostering innovation on the open web. By supporting developers and projects at the intersection of AI and web technologies, we aim to create a more capable, efficient, and intelligent web ecosystem for everyone. If you would like to chat with us further about WebAI generally, reach out to our DevRel team.
We can't wait to see what the community will build with this support. Together, we'll push the boundaries of what's possible with AI on the web.
Keep an eye on our blog and developer channels for updates on the Web AI Acceleration Fund, including application details and highlights of funded projects. Let's build the future of AI on the web, together.