Be AI Ready in Just 10 Minutes a Day
AI skills are becoming basic workplace skills, but not everyone has time for a formal class or access to a laptop. The U.S. Department of Labor’s free Make America AI-Ready course delivers short AI lessons by text message, making it one of the easiest ways to start learning.
By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
May 31, 2026
Many workers know they should learn more about artificial intelligence, but the starting point can feel messy.
Which tool should you try first?
What is safe to paste into an AI chatbot?
How do you know whether an AI answer is useful or just confidently wrong?
Here's a Cool Tip: Be AI Ready with the DOL AI Literacy Course.
The U.S. Department of Labor has launched a practical answer: Make America AI-Ready, a free AI literacy course delivered entirely through text messages.
The course is designed for workers who want a simple introduction without downloading an app, buying software, or sitting through a long online class.
According to the Department of Labor, users can sign up by texting READY to 20202, then complete the course in seven days with about 10 minutes of daily participation.
Make America AI-Ready is a free, text-based AI literacy course from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Instead of using a website, app, video platform, or learning management system, the course sends daily lessons and short activities by SMS text message.
That delivery choice matters.
It lowers the barrier for people who may not have regular computer access, reliable broadband, or time for a traditional online course.
The official AI Ready page says the course requires no laptop, no app, and no Wi-Fi, and that any cell phone can be used, including basic flip phones.
The course is built around five AI literacy areas:
- Understanding AI principles,
- Exploring AI uses,
- Directing AI effectively,
- Evaluating AI outputs, and
- Using AI responsibly.
The Department of Labor describes those areas as the foundation for helping workers understand what AI can do, where it fits into everyday work, how to write better prompts, how to check AI-generated answers, and how to protect sensitive information.
This is not a replacement for deep technical training, prompt engineering certification, coding bootcamps, or enterprise AI governance programs.
It is better understood as a fast on-ramp.
For many workers, that is exactly what is needed.
What You’ll Gain
- Build basic AI confidence without installing an app or buying software.
- Learn how to ask better AI questions with clearer context.
- Practice checking AI answers before trusting them.
- Understand privacy basics before using AI at work or school.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's how to do it.
Mobile Phone:
- Open the Messages app on your phone.
- Start a new text message.
- In the recipient field, enter 20202.
- In the message field, type READY.
- Send the message.
- Follow the prompts you receive by text.
- Set aside about 10 minutes per day for the seven-day course.
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fig. 1 - Be AI Ready Lesson One |
Web/Desktop:
- Visit the Department of Labor’s AI Ready page, https://beta.dol.gov/ai-ready.
- Review the course description and privacy note.
- Use the sign-up link or follow the text-message instructions.
- Continue the course from your phone.
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fig. 2 - I Want You to Benefit From AI - DOL Ad |
Windows, macOS, iPhone/iPad, Android:
- The course itself is not platform-specific. It works through standard text messaging, so the key requirement is a phone that can send and receive SMS messages.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Low barrier to entry: No app, laptop, or paid account is required.
- Small time commitment: The official course page lists 10 minutes per day over one week.
- Good for beginners: It starts with foundational concepts rather than advanced technical jargon.
- Practical framework: The five pillars cover prompting, evaluation, responsible use, and real-world AI use cases.
- Accessible format: Text delivery can reach workers who may not normally take online courses.
Cons:
- Not advanced training: It will not teach machine learning, coding, automation design, or enterprise AI policy in depth.
- Text format is limited: SMS lessons are convenient, but not ideal for screenshots, demos, charts, or long examples.
- U.S.-focused framing: The Department of Labor describes the initiative for American workers, so international availability and carrier behavior may vary.
- Employer policy still matters: Workers should follow their organization’s AI, privacy, and data-use rules before using AI tools on company information.
Make America AI-Ready is a free course for American workers.
It is delivered by text message, lasts one week, and is designed to require about 10 minutes per day.
Supported platforms are best described as SMS-capable phones, not Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, or web in the usual app sense.
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