US Labor Department Launches SMS-Based AI Course to Boost Workforce AI Literacy

The United States Labor Department recently announced a free Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy course aimed at raising AI awareness among skeptical citizens.

The “Make America AI-Ready” initiative is a one-week digital course designed to equip American workers with the foundational AI skills needed for an AI-driven economy.

Designed to deliver “bite-sized learning content and daily challenges entirely via text message,” the course is accessible without requiring internet access or a computer. Interested users can participate by texting “READY” to 20202.

According to a press release from the Labor Department, users can complete the course in seven days with about 10 minutes of daily engagement. The course covers AI’s fundamental competencies, including how to write effective prompts.

The system is built around text messaging to ensure accessibility for all Americans, including those who do not have reliable internet access or a computer device.

“The ‘Make America AI-Ready’ initiative is designed to ensure every American worker has the chance to learn foundational skills so they can benefit from the opportunities that the AI economy presents,” said outgoing US Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, in the press release.

The initiative was developed through a collaboration between the Labor Department and education technology company Arist, a participant in the White House’s Pledge to America’s Youth, to help advance AI education across the country.

Key content areas of the new course include understanding AI principles, exploring AI use cases, directing AI effectively, evaluating AI outputs, and using AI responsibly.

While the logic for this course is “sound,” according to Maja Završnik, CMO & co-founder of SheAI, a women-focused AI learning platform, the SMS-based approach “cannot provide a path forward.”

Završnik explained that the SMS learning arrives in fragments and then stops, without an arc from “I have heard of this” to “I understand it” to “I am applying it and getting better every day.”

Currently, some of the basic AI skills to have are identifying where AI fits in one’s work, shared Završnik. In her view, AI will soon become the default, much like spreadsheets and search engines today. However, what will matter most are the skills that AI cannot replicate.

“Storytelling is becoming one of the most strategically important skills a person can develop, as is personal branding,” she notes. “The people who build an authentic point of view now are the ones who will stand out when the tools everyone uses look identical.”

In a labor market increasingly focused on measurable skills, AI awareness alone may not be enough.

AI literacy in the United States

This gap between awareness and capability is reflected in recent data. According to a study published by the Pew Research Center, 95% of US adults surveyed said that they have heard of artificial intelligence, while 73% noted that they would be willing to let AI assist them at least a little with day-to-day activities.

Even though more Americans are experimenting with the technology, skepticism persists. The Associated Press reported that while more employees are now using AI frequently, those who do not cite ethical concerns or worries about data privacy.

In addition, two in 10 told the AP that they didn’t feel prepared to use AI effectively. Završnik explains that AI can optimize existing workflows, adding that understanding of how it’s built, its biases, and its governance and ethics are key to using the tool.

She also adds that AI tools can serve as collaborators, “opening up possibilities that were not realistic even two years ago.”

“The barrier between having an idea and executing on it has collapsed. AI literacy is what lets you actually walk through that door,” Završnik says.

What is the role of certification?

Across industries, hiring has also shifted. While degrees still provide a foundation, they are no longer a reliable measure of whether somebody can meet the demands of today’s workplace.

This shift is evident in the context of AI, where jobs are being constantly reshaped. According to Juan Felipe Velasco, Managing Director and co-founder of Remoti, a workforce-as-a-service platform, “As AI reshapes global work, accessibility matters, but so does depth. The real opportunity lies in turning basic literacy into measurable, job-ready capability.”

Skills such as prompt engineering did not exist a few years ago, but now are becoming essential. Now, they are becoming formalized through certifications that create measurable standards of performance.

As Leslie Thomas, Ph.D, Chief Psychometric Officer at Kryterion, an online certification and proctoring firm, argues, certifications are emerging as “a stronger signal of readiness for new hires.” They provide a structured progression and verifiable outcomes that employers can assess.

The rise of certifications is also tied to long-standing inefficiencies in the labor market. One report found that over 60 percent of employers rejected otherwise qualified candidates due to the absence of a university degree, highlighting how traditional credentials can act as barriers rather than accurate indicators of skill.

Certifications, by contrast, are designed to evolve alongside the workplace. They incentivize continuous learning while allowing workers to validate newly acquired competencies. For employers, they offer a more current and adaptable signal of capability—particularly in roles affected by AI, where required skills can change within a few years.

In that sense, while initiatives like “Make America AI-Ready” may broaden access to basic knowledge, certifications are increasingly what determine whether workers can translate that awareness into employable skills.

However, the initiative does not appear to offer any form of certification, raising questions about how its impact will be measured in a labor market increasingly defined by skills-based hiring.