Free ChatGPT Training Surge Redefines Software's Value Equation

The proliferation of free, rapid-learning guides for ChatGPT marks a critical inflection point in AI adoption, shifting the focus from technological capability to mass-market skill acquisition. Amplified by major tech media, this grassroots upskilling proves that user proficiency is becoming as crucial as model power, establishing a new baseline for accessible AI education that moves beyond early adopters and into mainstream enterprise use, fundamentally altering workforce expectations.

This dynamic overwhelmingly benefits OpenAI, which is building a powerful defensive moat based on a massive, self-trained user base. The trend puts immense pressure on rivals like Google and Anthropic, who must now compete not just on model performance but also on creating their own educational ecosystems. The stakes are shifting towards dominating the "human layer" of AI interaction, which could prove more defensible than the underlying technology itself.