Whenever I talk with people about AI, one of the first questions I get is: “What’s it going to mean for my job?” or “How will it impact my company?”
I tell them I believe AI will unlock more opportunities for more people than any technology in history. It will help companies operate more efficiently, give anyone the power to turn their ideas into income, and create jobs that don’t even exist today.
But AI will also be disruptive. Jobs will look different, companies will have to adapt, and all of us—from shift workers to CEOs—will have to learn how to work in new ways.
At OpenAI, we can’t eliminate that disruption. But what we can do is help more people become fluent in AI and connect them with companies that need their skills, to give people more economic opportunities.
That starts with access, which is why the vast majority of the hundreds of millions of people who use ChatGPT every week do it for free. We want to put AI, and the power that comes with it, in the hands of as many people as possible. But it’s also important to make sure those people know how to use AI to be more productive, shape the world around them, and control their own destiny in new ways.
That’s why we’re working with a broad range of organizations—from major employers like Walmart and John Deere, to professional services firms like Boston Consulting Group and Accenture, to job search and hiring platform Indeed, to community organizations like the Texas Association of Business and the Bay Area Council, to state governments like the Delaware governor’s office—to help everyone take advantage of the opportunities that AI has to offer. And together, we’re focused on two big initiatives:
First, we’re working to build out the OpenAI Jobs Platform.
If you’re a business looking to hire an AI-savvy employee, or you just need help with a specific task, finding the right person can be hit-or-miss. The OpenAI Jobs Platform will have knowledgeable, experienced candidates at every level, and opportunities for anyone looking to put their skills to use. And we’ll use AI to help find the perfect matches between what companies need and what workers can offer.
Importantly, the jobs platform won’t just be a way for big companies to attract more talent. It will have a track dedicated to helping local businesses compete, and local governments find the AI talent they need to better serve their constituents. For example, the Texas Association of Business wants to use the platform to connect thousands of Texas employers with talented people who can help them modernize their businesses.
We also realize that anyone looking to hire, whether it’s through the Jobs Platform or elsewhere, needs to trust that candidates are actually fluent in AI. Most businesses, including small businesses, think AI is the key to their future. And most of the companies we talk to want to make sure their employees know how to use our tools.
That’s the idea behind our new OpenAI Certifications.
Studies show(opens in a new window) that AI-savvy workers are more valuable, more productive, and are paid more than workers without AI skills. That’s why, earlier this year, we launched the OpenAI Academy, a free, online learning platform that has helped connect more than 2 million people with the resources, workshops, and communities they need to master AI tools.
Now we’re going to expand the Academy by offering certifications for different levels of AI fluency, from the basics of using AI at work all the way up to AI-custom jobs and prompt engineering. We’ll obviously use AI to teach AI: anyone will be able to prepare for the certification in ChatGPT’s Study mode and become certified without leaving the app. And companies will be able to make it part of their own learning and development programs.
OpenAI is committing to certifying 10 million Americans by 2030. And we’ll be doing it with our launch partners, including the biggest private employer in the world: Walmart. Here’s what Walmart had to say in their own words:
“At Walmart, we know the future of retail won’t be defined by technology alone—it will be defined by people who know how to use it. By bringing AI training directly to our associates, we’re putting the most powerful technology of our time in their hands—giving them the skills to rewrite the playbook and shape the future of retail.”
—John Furner, CEO, Walmart U.S.
We realize that upskilling or reskilling programs have a mixed record, and haven’t always led to better jobs or higher wages. But we’ve studied what has and hasn’t worked in the past, and are designing our programs to better serve the needs of both workers and companies. For example, thanks to our launch partners and our Jobs Platform, we’re making sure the training we’re offering is deeply grounded in understanding the needs of employers and which skills they need to see in workers, so we can better match supply and demand. We’re also delivering this training in a way that is more likely to lead to skill-building than more traditional click-through certifications.
We’re launching these new initiatives as part of our commitment to the White House’s efforts toward expanding AI literacy. As we continue to build these programs, we’ll remain focused on serving the needs of both workers and employers.
It’s all about being intentional about the kind of future we want to build. If we want to put more power into the hands of more people, not just a fortunate few, we need to help everyone, at every level, take advantage of the opportunities that come with AI. We’ve still got a long way to go, but this is an important step in the right direction.
