OpenAI is launching a free program aimed at helping small business owners integrate artificial intelligence into their daily operations. The ChatGPT for Small Business initiative combines hands-on training with the company’s ChatGPT Work agent, which differs from standard chatbots by handling multi-step tasks with minimal user input.
The program includes four key components. First, virtual training sessions cover practical use cases in accounting, marketing, and ecommerce. These webinars feature live demonstrations, sample prompts, and workflow templates attendees can apply immediately. Second, OpenAI’s Academy team is hosting in-person Small Business AI Academies in cities across the United States. These sessions allow owners to build workflows in real time with direct support from OpenAI staff.
OpenAI cites results from last year’s Small Business AI Jams to support the approach. According to the company, 78% of participants created a functional AI workflow during a single day of training. Additionally, 42% of attendees reported saving more than five hours per week after implementing what they learned.
The third component consists of self-paced resources, including guides, customer case studies, and short videos. Some guides integrate directly into ChatGPT Work, providing owners with prebuilt starting points rather than requiring them to develop workflows from scratch. The fourth component connects businesses to a network of partners and prebuilt agents, including Dropbox, Shopify, Intuit, Slack, Atlassian, and Wix.
This effort reflects OpenAI’s broader strategy to move beyond individual users and embed AI tools into small business operations. The company reports 10 million users across ChatGPT Work and its coding tool, Codex. However, adoption remains limited: a recent NFIB survey found only 24% of small employers currently use AI, suggesting the training push targets an early-stage market.
Small business owners often struggle less with access to AI tools than with effectively integrating them into existing workflows. Technology consultant Gene Marks has noted that most small businesses don’t need additional AI software but instead require better connections between their tools and data. Owners can register for virtual training or find an in-person AI academy through OpenAI’s sign-up form. OpenAI has not announced an end date for the program or confirmed how many cities will host academies this year.
