The Department of Labor (DOL) is offering Americans free training in artificial intelligence (AI) – so we signed up. Over seven days, we examined how the Trump administration is working to prepare the workforce for an AI-driven future.
DOL’s “Make America AI-Ready” initiative launched last month to help Americans build foundational AI skills in seven days. The initiative delivers a text-based AI literacy curriculum developed with Arist, an education technology company.
AI reskilling has been a major focus for both industry and the federal government. Experts have warned that AI skills will be critical to keeping up with innovation.
According to a September Pew Research Center report, 50% of Americans say they are more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI in daily life, while 73% say they would be willing to let AI assist them somewhat with everyday activities.
DOL’s initiative with Arist aims to deliver “bite-sized learning content and daily challenges” in just 10 minutes a day. SMS delivery makes the training accessible even to Americans without a laptop or consistent internet access, the department noted.
Here’s what we learned.
Day one: What is AI
The first day focused on helping users understand core AI concepts, capabilities, and limitations. The initial text notified us that messages would be sent at the same time each day for a week and that phone numbers would only be used to deliver the course.
Lessons explained how everyday services use AI, with examples like Netflix and predictive text suggestions, and defined AI as “a system that looks at massive amounts of data, finds patterns, and makes predictions.”
“That’s it. That’s the secret: PATTERNS IN, PREDICTIONS OUT,” the first lesson SMS read.
The text also introduced generative AI, explaining that it “doesn’t just predict; it creates.”
“In this course, you’ll learn how to give AI clear instructions, quickly judge its output, and know when it saves time vs. When to do it yourself,” the SMS read. “The goal is to make AI feel less like a mystery and more like a tool you actually want to use.”
Day two: How AI learns
Similar to day one, the second day’s lesson explained how machine learning works through studying, predicting, and improving. “It’s learning from trial and error, at a scale and speed no human could match,” the SMS read.
“Since AI works by prediction, clear instructions lead to better predictions, and when you give feedback, it improves,” the lesson continued.
The lesson also noted that AI can reflect human patterns, biases, and blind spots, encouraging users to apply their own judgment rather than take outputs at face value.
“The best results come when you lead – using your judgement to direct, check, and refine – while AI supports,” the SMS said.
Days three and four: How to talk to AI
These days focused on the basics of writing effective prompts by providing the right context.
The third day’s lesson compared asking for food – and possibly receiving a raw turnip – to asking specifically for a pizza with certain toppings. “The difference isn’t luck. It’s the prompt. And that’s great news, because it means better results are completely in your control,” the SMS said.
Day four continued this focus, explaining that strong prompts include a goal, context, and expectations. “The more specific your prompt, the less time you spend going back and forth with AI,” the SMS explained.
Day five: Put AI to work for you
Day five explored how AI can assist with tasks such as providing step-by-step repair guidance or helping users learn unfamiliar skills. The course highlighted AI’s role in productivity, research, creativity, tasks, and decision-making.
“What felt impossible suddenly becomes a Tuesday afternoon project,” the SMS reads.
Days six and seven: Using AI responsibly
The final two days of the course focused on evaluating AI-generated content for accuracy and relevance, and how to use the technology in ethical and secure ways.
“Like editing an essay or tweaking your pickleball serve, great results come from reviewing, refining, and improving,” the SMS read. It encouraged users to check the AI output for accuracy, completeness, relevance, and soundness.
To be a “smart AI user,” the course said that users should always protect their private information and never share confidential information, verify outputs before acting them, and use AI as a partner, rather than a replacement.
“AI supports your work. It doesn’t replace your responsibility. You decide when to trust it, when to tweak it, and when to toss it out,” the SMS read.