San José offers free AI classes

San José has started offering free artificial intelligence classes to residents through its public library, beginning with workshops for seniors and job seekers. (smartcitiesdive.com) The first live workshops were held on April 8 at the city’s AI Center for Civic and Social Good, inside the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. One session covered “ChatGPT for Everyday Life,” and another focused on resumes and job interviews. (bayareacouncil.org) (sjpl.org) The classes are part of “AI for All,” a citywide partnership involving the City of San José, the Bay Area Council, OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. The program page says the training is free, aimed at San José residents, and open to adults age 18 and older with no prior experience required. (bayareacouncil.org) San José had already been training its own workers before opening classes to the public. The city’s Information Technology Training Academy says employees use artificial intelligence for tasks such as document review, policy drafting, and data analysis, and trained staff save more than an hour a day on average. (sanjoseca.gov) Mayor Matt Mahan announced the broader resident program at the GovAI Coalition Summit on November 5, 2025, calling it an effort to make San José “the most AI literate city in the nation.” Government Technology reported the initiative would include a self-paced online portal, in-person instruction, and courses offered in multiple languages. (govtech.com) The city is tying that public education push to its own use of artificial intelligence in government services. San José says it uses artificial intelligence in projects including real-time translation for City Council meetings and traffic systems that analyze bus location data to adjust signals. (sanjoseca.gov 1) (sanjoseca.gov 2) On the library side, the city has built out a permanent public-facing space for the effort. The San Jose Public Library says the AI Center for Civic and Social Good provides free access to artificial intelligence education, tools, and advanced technology for workforce development, civic engagement, and research. (sjpl.org) The city is also positioning the program as a model for other governments. San José is a founding member of the GovAI Coalition, which the city says was created to help public agencies use artificial intelligence with safeguards around privacy, risk, and accountability. (sanjoseca.gov 1) (sanjoseca.gov 2) For now, the practical pitch is simple: free classes, public library access, and beginner-level instruction in a city that is already using the technology in its own operations. More live events are listed as both in person and virtual as the rollout continues. (bayareacouncil.org) (sjpl.org)