The Big Story

AI training is moving from a side project to basic organizational infrastructure. In a September 23 update, OpenAI said its Academy had hosted more than 250 events and reached more than 4 million people with its content since launching in 2024. Those are company-reported engagement figures, not an independent measure of skill gains. Read the Academy update

The update also describes a pilot Community Trainer Program. Participating organizations nominate staff, who learn the curriculum, practice leading workshops, and complete a facilitation assessment before teaching others. That model matters because a tool is easier to use when the learning is tied to the work people already do. See how the pilot works

Story #2: The roadmap gap

New research from The Bridgespan Group and NTEN finds that 70 percent of nonprofit leaders and staff believe their organizations are missing meaningful AI opportunities, while only 8 percent report a one- to two-year AI implementation roadmap. The authors stress that their framework is not one-size-fits-all and that choosing not to adopt AI may be the right decision for some organizations. Read the Bridgespan and NTEN release

Warren’s Take

Training should not mean asking everyone to become a prompt engineer. It should mean giving people a shared way to judge an AI result. What task is being supported? What data may the tool see? Who reviews the output? What would make us stop? Those questions help a small team build confidence without pretending that every workflow is safe by default.

Two paths, two trade-offs

A structured program, such as workshops and role-based learning paths, offers shared language and peer practice. It also takes coordination and may move at a pace that does not fit every team. Self-directed learning is easier to start and can fit a busy schedule, but it puts more weight on each person to test claims, protect data, and ask for help. Verizon’s new national effort shows that public-facing training is also becoming part of the workforce conversation, with free, occupation-focused resources offered through nonprofit and technology partners. Read the Reuters report

Try This This Week

Pick one low-risk task. Write a one-page learning card with the task, approved data, reviewer, success check, and stop rule. Then ask someone who does not own the workflow to challenge it. That is a small investment in shared judgment.