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Today: PayPal and Anthropic launched free AI training targeting 25 million small businesses by 2030. Google's Omni model turns photos and video into AI-generated video but struggles with consistency. Starbucks shut down its AI inventory system after it lost count of milk.
PayPal and Anthropic just launched the AI Fluency for Small Business course, free and available online. This is significant because 82% of small businesses say AI adoption is critical to staying competitive, but 73% lack the tools or training to get started. The course includes nine self-paced lessons taught by AI researchers and actual business owners, with a certificate you can share on LinkedIn when you finish.
Beyond training, they are rolling out Claude for Small Business, a plugin that integrates with QuickBooks, HubSpot, and Canva to automate invoicing, refunds, and other mundane tasks. It requires your approval before executing any action, which addresses the fear that AI will run wild with your business processes. The long-term goal is supporting 25 million individuals and businesses by 2030, which is ambitious but appears to be backed by actual infrastructure.
If you have been waiting for a structured, low-risk way to start using AI in your business, this is it. The training is practical and free. The plugin automates actual work. Small Business Trends
Google's Omni Flash: Google released Omni, an AI model that turns text, photos, or video into AI-generated video. It is available in Google's Flow platform and builds on the previous Veo model. You can upload a video and use it with a text prompt to generate new content. Google claims it has better real-world knowledge and can keep characters more consistent throughout the video.
In practice, the results are wildly inconsistent. A test with a stuffed deer packing for vacation showed the AI creating decent sequences but then randomly adding antlers the character does not have, or changing a honey jar into a water bottle mid-scene. Edits cost 40 credits per round. With the $20/month AI Pro plan (1,000 credits), you can burn through your budget fast if you need specific results. If you are experimenting with AI video for social media or ads, this is worth testing. But plan on generating many variations to get something usable. The Verge
Claude for Small Business: This new plugin from Anthropic integrates into existing business tools (QuickBooks, HubSpot, Canva). It automates invoicing, refunds, and similar repetitive tasks. It requires user approval before executing actions, which is smart design. This is part of the PayPal/Anthropic partnership mentioned above. If you are already using any of these platforms, this is an easy automation win. Small Business Trends
Just Salad keeps lunch under $20 with Claude: Just Salad, a $1 billion chain, is using Anthropic's Claude to manage operations and keep prices down. Founder and CEO Nick Kenner says AI helps optimize supply chains and control costs in a competitive fast-casual market. This is a practical example of how AI is being used for pricing strategy and operational efficiency in food service, not just for chatbots and customer service. Inc.com
Ferrari builds superfans with IBM's AI: Ferrari partnered with IBM to overhaul its fan app, which now includes AI-written race summaries, games, prediction tools, and an AI companion for questions. The app processes millions of race data points per second and turns them into engaging content for fans. Engagement during race weekends is up 62% since IBM came on board. The lesson for small businesses: AI can help you take complex data and turn it into content that keeps customers engaged. If you have customer data or operational data sitting unused, this is the playbook. TechCrunch
Google Omni credits: Google's Omni model in Flow costs 15 to 40 credits per video generation, depending on length and ingredients. Edits cost 40 credits. The $20/month AI Pro plan comes with 1,000 credits. In testing, 20 video clips with a few edits burned through 855 credits, leaving only 145 remaining. If you plan to use this for production work, budget accordingly. The Verge
PayPal/Anthropic AI training is free: The AI Fluency for Small Business course from PayPal and Anthropic is free and online. No subscription required. This is a low-barrier entry point for small business owners who need practical AI training without paying for yet another SaaS product. Small Business Trends
Microsoft consolidates responsible AI under new group: Microsoft created the Trusted Technology Group in early 2025 and put Jenny Lay-Flurrie in charge in February. The group consolidates all responsible tech initiatives, including accessibility. Microsoft recently realized its AI-generated code often skips accessibility and that AI-generated images of blind people were depicting them in blindfolds and other problematic ways. To fix this, Microsoft purchased 20 million minutes of multimodal data from Be My Eyes, a nonprofit accessibility platform, to train its models more accurately. This is a reminder that AI models reflect the biases in their training data, and businesses need to audit outputs if they are customer-facing. CNBC
Starbucks shuts down AI inventory tool: Starbucks launched an AI program last year to ensure every store had all menu ingredients, including milk. It has now shut the program down because the AI lost count. This is a warning for anyone planning to automate inventory or supply chain management: AI is not magic. If the data inputs are bad or the model is poorly designed, the output will be worse than a spreadsheet. Inc.com
Elon Musk abandons terrestrial solar for AI data centers: SpaceX's recent SEC filing reveals that xAI, Musk's AI company, is relying on natural gas turbines to power its data centers instead of Tesla's solar panels. xAI has spent $697 million on Tesla Megapacks (battery storage) but is not buying solar at scale. Instead, Musk is betting on space-based solar power for future AI data centers. This is a curious move for someone who built his empire on clean energy. It also signals that AI's power demands are outpacing what terrestrial renewable infrastructure can provide quickly. For small business owners, this is a reminder that AI infrastructure is energy-intensive, and cloud AI costs will reflect that. TechCrunch
Sign up for PayPal/Anthropic's free AI training: If you have been delaying AI adoption because you do not know where to start, this is your entry point. The course is free, self-paced, and taught by people who actually run businesses. You get a certificate at the end, which you can share on LinkedIn. Actionable and zero cost. Small Business Trends
Test Claude for Small Business if you use QuickBooks, HubSpot, or Canva: The plugin automates invoicing and refunds with user approval. If you spend hours each week on these tasks, this is worth testing. The worst case is it does not fit your workflow and you turn it off.
PayPal and Anthropic's free training is the first serious attempt to onboard millions of small businesses to AI at scale. If it works, expect competitors like Google and Microsoft to follow with similar programs. Meanwhile, the failures (Starbucks inventory AI, Google Omni's inconsistencies) are reminders that AI is still brittle. The tools are getting better, but you still need to test thoroughly before relying on them for critical business functions. Watch for more enterprise AI partnerships (like Ferrari/IBM) to trickle down into SMB-focused products.