Helping 1,000 Main Street businesses build with AI

Helping 1,000 Main Street businesses build with AI

OpenAI News

在 OpenAI 我们希望人人都能从能解决难题的工具中受益，特别是支撑经济的中小企业。中小企业推动创新、创造就业，构成全国社区的脊梁。但许多企业没有时间、资源或技术背景去探索 AI 如何帮助它们拓展与争取新客户。把这些能力交到中小企业手中，可以确保 AI 带来的生产力提升惠及 Main Street ，而非仅限于少数大公司。

因此，今天 OpenAI Academy 联合 DoorDash 、 SCORE 以及一批地方商业支持组织，发起了面向全国的实践工作坊—— Small Business AI Jam 。这一为期一天的线下活动将在旧金山、纽约、休斯顿、底特律和迈阿密五个中心同时开展，超过 1,000 名小企业主将在 OpenAI 导师的带领下，亲手构建符合自身需求的 AI 工具。参与者来自各类业态：专业服务（会计、律师事务所等）约占五分之一；餐厅、餐饮承办和餐车约占五分之一；服装店和便利店等零售业约占十分之一；小型营销与设计等创意服务约占十分之一；本地维修、清洁、理发与美发等约占二十分之一。

今年早些时候为 OpenAI 做的一项调查显示，一半的小企业主认为员工熟悉使用 AI 很重要，60% 预计雇佣具备这些技能的员工将带来切实的效率提升。 Small Business AI Jam 旨在满足这一需求，为 Main Street 的企业主提供可操作的工具、动手培训和立即投入使用 AI 的信心。

对小企业而言，AI 具有变革性，能开启过去只有大团队和雄厚资源才能享有的能力。在 Jam 中，参与者将构建用于真实业务场景的工具，例如撰写营销文案、改善客户沟通、简化日常事务等。每位参与者都会带着至少一款可立即投入使用的工具离开现场。

“中小企业——那些记得你名字的家常餐馆、在你家出现紧急情况时会上门的承包商、在你最需要时提供日用品的街角杂货店、赞助你小联盟球队的律师事务所——它们是健康街区与强大社区的基石。把强大的 AI 工具交到他们手里，能让他们以更小的投入发挥更大力量，真正提升生产力。这关乎确保小微经营者拥有与大型企业、跨国集团和连锁店竞争的工具，从而分享应得的经济收益，” Chris Lehane ， OpenAI 首席全球事务官如是说。

“经营小生意既是手艺，又要有创意，也常常充满混乱。AI 并不能把这一切变得轻松，但确实能并且应该让它更容易。无论是写菜单描述、管理库存，还是为晚餐高峰做准备， DoorDash 都希望确保各种小企业在技术加速的时代拥有成功所需的条件。我们很高兴能与 OpenAI 、 SCORE 以及全国各地的区域合作伙伴携手，让商家能把更多时间用于打磨其独有之处，” Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean ， DoorDash 首席企业事务官表示。

在活动前，参与者可通过 OpenAI Academy 的在线资源中心获取覆盖 AI 基础知识的准备材料。活动结束后，他们将加入线上社群，继续学习、与同行交流并完善所构建的工具。无法亲临现场的企业主也可参加 12 月 4 日举办的线上 Small Business Jam 。

在五个现场活动地，各地的商业支持组织与社区牵头方正协助将活动内容贴合本地小企业的具体需求，合作单位包括：

  • 底特律： Detroit Means Business 、 New Economy Initiative 、 Michigan Chamber of Commerce
  • 休斯顿： Texas Association of Business 、 Houston Area Urban League - Entrepreneurship Center
  • 迈阿密： The Idea Center 与 AI Center （位于 Miami Dade College ）、 Florida SBDC at FIU 、 Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
  • 纽约： Five Chamber Alliance
  • 旧金山： REN Center 、 SF Chamber of Commerce

此次 Jam 承接了我们此前的 Nonprofit AI Jam 与 Scientist AI Jam 的势头，后两者曾吸引数千名领导者与研究者用强大 AI 工具开展实践。它也是我们通过即将推出的 OpenAI Certifications 项目中“ AI for Main Street ” 方向和 OpenAI Jobs Platform 的更长期支持中小企业举措的一部分。这些计划将帮助小企业接触到通晓 AI 的人才，推动竞争环境公平化，让所有企业——而非只有大公司——都能获得必要的工具与人才以参与竞争。

与此同时，本周 OpenAI 还公开支持了国会中两项跨党派法案，旨在为小企业使用 AI 提供更明确的指南与更强的培训资源，这与 Small Business AI Jam 所推动的技能与支持相辅相成。

我们感谢 DoorDash 与 SCORE 对本次 Jam 的支持与专业贡献，期待看到全国各地小企业主为自己打造的那些定制化工具。


At OpenAI, we want everyone to benefit from our tools that help solve hard problems, especially the small businesses that power our economy. Small businesses drive innovation, create jobs, and form the backbone of communities across the country. But many don’t have the time, resources, or technical background to explore how AI can help them grow and compete for new customers. Putting this capability into the hands of small businesses helps ensure that the productivity gains AI unlocks reach Main Street, not just the largest companies.


That’s why today, OpenAI Academy is teaming up with DoorDash⁠, SCORE⁠, and a network of local business support organizations to host the Small Business AI Jam—a nationwide, hands-on workshop designed to make AI practical and accessible for Main Street businesses. Across five hubs—San Francisco, New York City, Houston, Detroit, and Miami—more than 1,000 small business owners will work alongside OpenAI mentors over the course of a day to build AI tools tailored to their needs. Participants range from professional services such as accounting and law firms (about 1 in 5 participants), to restaurants, caterers and food trucks (also about 1 in 5), to retailers like clothing and convenience stores (1 in 10), to creative services like small marketing and design firms (1 in 10), to local repair and cleaning companies, hair salons and barbershops (1 in 20).


A survey conducted for OpenAI earlier this year found that half of small business owners say it’s important for their employees to be comfortable using AI, and 60% expect real efficiency gains from hiring workers with those skills. The Small Business AI Jam will help meet that need by giving Main Street business owners practical tools, hands-on training, and the confidence to put AI to work immediately.


AI can be transformative for small businesses, opening up capabilities that were once only available to companies with large teams and significant resources. At the Jam, participants will build tools to support real business needs such as drafting marketing materials, improving customer communication, and streamlining everyday tasks. Each participant will leave with at least one ready-to-use tool they can immediately put to work.


“Small businesses—the family restaurants that knows your name, the small contractors that build our homes and come back when you have a home emergency, the corner grocer we go to for our goods when we need them the most, the law firm that sponsors your Little League team—these are the building blocks for a healthy neighborhood and strong community. Put powerful AI tools in their hands, and you help them punch above their weight and unlock real productivity gains. This is about making sure that the little guy has the tools needed to compete with larger enterprises, multinational conglomerates and big chains so they can get their fair piece of the economic pie,” says Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer, OpenAI.


“Running a small business is equal parts craft, creativity, and chaos. AI can’t make that easy, but it can and should make it easier. Whether it’s writing a menu description, managing inventory, or planning for the dinner rush, DoorDash wants to make sure small business owners of all kinds have what they need to succeed as technology continues to accelerate. We’re thrilled to team up with OpenAI, SCORE, and our regional partners across the country to ensure they have a little more time to focus on what makes their business special,” says Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, DoorDash.


Leading up to the event, participants will have access to an online resource hub⁠⁠ on OpenAI Academy that covers AI fundamentals to help them prepare. After the Jam, they’ll join an online community where they can continue learning, connect with peers, and build on the tools they created. And for those who can’t attend in person, we’ll also be hosting a virtual Small Business Jam on December 4.


At each of the five Jam locations, regional business support organizations and community conveners are helping tailor the event to meet the specific needs of local small businesses, including:



This Jam builds on the momentum of our recent Nonprofit AI Jam⁠ and Scientist AI Jam⁠, which brought thousands of leaders and researchers together to build with powerful AI tools. It is also part of our broader efforts to support small businesses⁠ for the long-term through the “AI for Main Street” track of our upcoming OpenAI Certifications program and OpenAI Jobs Platform. These initiatives will help small businesses access AI-fluent talent and help level the playing field so every business—not just large companies—have access to the tools and workers they need to compete.


Alongside these efforts, this week OpenAI also endorsed⁠ two bipartisan bills in Congress that would give small businesses clearer guidance and stronger training resources for using AI—reinforcing the kinds of skills and support that the Small Business AI Jam is helping to build.


We want to thank DoorDash and SCORE for supporting the Jam and sharing their expertise on what small businesses need to better use AI to grow and succeed. We’re excited to see the bespoke tools that small business owners across the country build for themselves!



Generated by RSStT. The copyright belongs to the original author.

Source

Report content on this page

Report Page

Please submit your DMCA takedown request to dmca@telegram.org