PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) announced a partnership with Anthropic to launch a free online AI training course for small businesses, according to a press release statement.

The program, called "AI Fluency for Small Business," offers nine lessons featuring videos from AI researchers and small business owners. The course uses the 4D AI Fluency framework and provides certificates upon completion.

According to survey data cited in the announcement, 82% of small businesses consider AI adoption essential for competitiveness, while 73% report lacking necessary tools or training.

"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.

The initiative supports PayPal's stated goal of providing skills training to 25 million people and small businesses by 2030 for participation in the digital economy.

Anthropic is also launching "Claude for Small Business," a plugin that connects its Claude AI assistant to business tools including PayPal's platform, QuickBooks, HubSpot, and Canva. The plugin can handle tasks such as invoicing and refunds with user approval.

"The next wave of AI adoption is going to be driven by corner shops, solo founders, and family businesses," said Dr. Kristen Swanson, AI Fluency Researcher at Anthropic. The training has previously reached more than one million learners, according to the companies.

The course features advice from entrepreneurs including Mak Cabessa, founder of MAKS TIPM Rebuilders, who has used PayPal services including Working Capital loans to expand his business globally.

PayPal plans to work with nonprofit organizations to distribute the training program to small businesses worldwide.