PayPal & Anthropic launch AI course for small firms
Mon, 18th May 2026 (Today)
PayPal has partnered with Anthropic to launch a free online AI training course for small businesses, aimed at addressing a gap in AI adoption among smaller firms.
The course, called AI Fluency for Small Business, includes nine lessons with video guidance from AI researchers and small business owners. It is available on demand, allowing users to complete the material at their own pace.
PayPal's survey found that 82% of small businesses believe adopting AI is essential to staying competitive. At the same time, 73% said they lack the tools or training needed to do so.
The training is built around what the companies call the 4D AI Fluency framework, intended to help people use AI safely and effectively. Learners who complete the course receive a certificate they can share on social networks.
The initiative is part of PayPal's broader goal of supporting 25 million people and small businesses with digital economy skills by 2030. The course draws on advice from business owners as well as academic research on AI literacy.
"PayPal is proud to partner with Anthropic to help small and medium-sized businesses harness the full potential of the AI-led economy," said Amy Bonitatibus, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at PayPal. "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."
Alongside the course, Anthropic is introducing Claude for Small Business, a plugin that connects its Claude assistant to software used by smaller firms. It integrates with PayPal's platform and can handle tasks such as invoicing and refunds, with approvals required before anything is sent or paid.
It also connects with products including QuickBooks, HubSpot and Canva, allowing owners to manage more of their operations in one place. The announcement reflects a broader push by AI companies to embed generative AI tools more deeply into day-to-day business workflows, rather than limiting them to content generation and customer-facing chat functions.
Owner advice
The course also features contributions from entrepreneurs, including Mak Cabessa, Founder of MAKS TIPM Rebuilders and a long-time PayPal merchant. Cabessa started the business nearly a decade ago and expanded it internationally with the help of a PayPal Working Capital loan.
His advice to other small businesses is to give AI systems enough context, question the responses they produce, treat the interaction as an iterative conversation, and upload as much background information as possible. That practical emphasis reflects the course's focus on routine business use rather than abstract discussion of AI.
Anthropic described the initiative as a way to extend AI training beyond large companies with specialist staff and budgets. More than one million learners have already used the training model on which the small business course is based.
"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," said Dr. Kristen Swanson, AI Fluency Researcher at Anthropic. "AI Fluency for Small Business gives them practical, proven training that's already worked for more than a million learners. By partnering with PayPal, we can help get important training and resources to millions of small businesses and entrepreneurs."
The partnership comes as payments groups and AI developers seek a larger role in the software used by smaller enterprises, a market often constrained by time, expertise and budgets. While larger businesses have moved faster to test and deploy AI tools, smaller firms have tended to lag because adoption often depends on simple training, trusted integrations and clear use cases tied to everyday administrative work.
PayPal said it will continue working with non-profit organisations to bring the training and related support services to small businesses around the world.