Here’s something wild to think about:
We’ve never had a tech shift this big — and we can’t even explain it to ourselves.
AI isn’t like mobile, cloud, or social media.
It doesn’t just add a feature.
It changes how we deal with knowledge, work, and decision-making.
And because we’ve never experienced anything like this, we don’t have the systems in place to help us deal with it.
So what happens?
A vendor steps in.

OpenAI launches an Academy.
And suddenly, the people who build the tech… are the ones teaching us how to use it.

Helpful?
Honestly — yes.
But is it also shaping how we think about AI moving forward?
Definitely.

And that’s where it gets tricky.
When the vendor becomes the teacher, they’re not just filling a gap.

They’re setting the tone.
And everyone else builds from that.
But here’s the thing:
AI isn’t a tone. It’s not a product category.
It’s a system of creation, logic, output, decision-making — all wrapped into one.
Let one tune play too long, and you miss the rest of the orchestra.

🎯 Practical Thought: Want to learn AI? Don’t stop at OpenAI Academy.
Yes, the Academy is a solid intro.
It’s free, it’s friendly, and it gives you the basics.
But that’s exactly what it is: basic.
It opens the door to AI 101.
But if you want AI to support your goals, help you do a better job, or even compete in the job market —
The Academy won’t get you there.

🪞 Let’s compare:

🧠 O’Reilly Courses
 Full context. Broader views.
 Not built to push a brand.
 You get… homework (yes, real exercises).
 You can ask questions. You engage with instructors.
 You learn for real — not just swipe through.

👥 AIM (AI & ML Community)
 Independent. Open.
 People from different backgrounds, lenses, and goals.
 Yes - OpenAI Academy has a community too.
 But it’s too wide, too unstructured.
 No one is guiding the conversation.
 So… good luck getting the answer you actually need.

The goal here isn’t to avoid OpenAI Academy.
 It’s to make sure it’s not the only voice in the room.
And more importantly — that you understand what value it was designed to bring.

🧱 The Takeaway?

We’ve entered a new world.
 And in this one, even how we learn is part of the system we’re building.
I’m not just talking about AI in the classroom.
 I’m talking about how you choose to educate yourself about AI.
Where are you getting your information from?
 Who’s shaping your understanding?

🤲 Personal note:

AI is more than any of us can fully grasp right now.
Making a vendor your only source of truth?
That’s limiting yourself from the start.
Think of AI like clay.
You can shape it into anything — not just a square.
But if you only work with one mold…
You’ll never even see the other shapes.
So start with perspective.
Gather sources.
Compare angles.

That’s how you begin to see the potential of what AI can really offer.
I think OpenAI’s intention with the Academy is noble.
They wanted it to be neutral, but also practical — and that’s where things clashed.
For me, they missed the mark. The content became too generic.
And I don’t think I’m the only one saying this:
It’s good — but I’m not sure how practical it really is.