US payment platform PayPal and AI safety company Anthropic have partnered to launch AI Fluency for Small Business, a free online course designed to equip small and medium-sized business owners and entrepreneurs with practical AI skills, as reported by Edtech Innovation Hub.

The course comprises nine lessons featuring videos from AI fluency researchers and small business owners, delivered in an interactive, on-demand format built around Anthropic's 4D AI Fluency framework. Learners progress at their own pace and receive a shareable certificate upon completion.

The programme builds on Anthropic's existing AI fluency training, which has already reached more than one million learners globally, and extends that content specifically to the small business community through PayPal's network and infrastructure.

Amy Bonitatibus, chief corporate affairs officer at PayPal, said the partnership is designed to widen access to AI capability for smaller operators. "Together, we are equipping business owners and entrepreneurs with the tools, expertise, and trusted infrastructure they need to compete and thrive, and creating new opportunities for them to innovate, grow, and better serve their customers," she said.

Dr Kristen Swanson, AI Fluency Researcher at Anthropic, said the initiative targets an underserved segment of the AI adoption landscape. "The next wave of AI adoption is going to be driven by corner shops, solo founders, and family businesses, some of the most resourceful operators in the economy," she said. "By partnering with PayPal, we can help get important training and resources to millions of small businesses and entrepreneurs."

Read the full details of the PayPal and Anthropic course launch in the full report.