By Aradhana Bhandary, REALTOR® (About Aradhana: /about-aradhana). Published: June 1, 2026. The U.S. Department of Labor launched Make America AI-Ready, a free 7-day AI literacy course delivered entirely by text message. Text READY to 20202 to enroll. A Fresno Realtor explains why it matters for homebuyers and sellers.
Community + Real Estate | June 2026 | By Aradhana Bhandary, Realtor: Fresno & Clovis, CA (DRE# 02121126)
I have made it a personal mission to share things that genuinely matter to the people I serve. Not just listings, not just market updates, but the kind of information that can quietly change someone's life for the better. This is one of those moments. The U.S. Department of Labor has launched a free AI literacy program called Make America AI-Ready. It is delivered entirely through text message. It takes 10 minutes a day. It runs for seven days. And it costs absolutely nothing. You enroll by texting the word READY to 20202. That is the whole enrollment process. One text.
This initiative was developed by the Department of Labor in partnership with Arist, an education technology company, and is part of the White House's AI Action Plan. The goal is straightforward: make sure no American gets left behind as artificial intelligence reshapes how we work, live, and make decisions. As Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer put it, 'The Make America AI-Ready initiative is designed to ensure every American worker has the chance to learn the foundational skills to benefit from AI.'
Days 1 & 2: Understand AI Principles. Day 3: Explore AI Uses. Days 4 & 5: Direct AI Effectively. Day 6: Evaluate AI Outputs. Day 7: Use AI Responsibly. When you finish, the program also points you toward resources if you want to go deeper, including pathways toward AI-related careers.
Text READY to 20202. No laptop. No app. No Wi-Fi needed. Any cell phone works, including basic flip phones. Your number will never be shared or sold: the Department of Labor states it is used only to deliver the course. Learn more at dol.gov/ai-ready.
This is where I want to speak to you directly as your REALTOR, not just as someone sharing a news item. AI is already woven into the real estate process, whether buyers and sellers realize it or not. Lenders are using it to assess risk. Listing platforms are using it to rank search results. Buyers are using it to research neighborhoods, compare schools, and study market trends. Agents are using it to price homes more precisely and write better property descriptions. When you understand even the basics of how AI works, something shifts. You start asking smarter questions. You know how to verify what a tool is telling you. You stop being a passive recipient of someone else's algorithm and start being an informed participant in one of the most significant financial decisions of your life. A client who understands AI is a protected client. And that matters deeply to me.
Everyone. And I mean that without qualification. The text-based format was specifically chosen to reach people without regular laptop access or reliable internet. It meets you exactly where you are. Whether you are 25 or 75, a first-time buyer trying to understand how online listings work, or a longtime homeowner curious about what your REALTOR means when she mentions AI-generated market analysis, this course was built with you in mind. I have spent 22 years building roots in the Central Valley and serving families from every background. I have watched technology create distance between people who feel confident and people who feel left out. This is a genuine, no-cost bridge across that gap.
Please do not let this pass you by because it sounds complicated or because technology feels like someone else's world. Seven days. Ten minutes a day. A text message to get started. And then share it. Text it to your sister, your neighbor, your parent who keeps saying they do not understand any of this. The families in our community who feel farthest from the technology conversation are exactly who this was designed to serve. I am always here for your real estate questions, your neighborhood questions, and yes, your AI questions too. That is what it means to be your Central Valley REALTOR.
Aradhana Bhandary is a REALTOR® (California DRE #02121126) with Aluisi Real Estate, working as Selling Central California and serving buyers, sellers, and relocating clients throughout Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Fresno County, and the greater Central Valley. She is a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES®) and a physician relocation specialist. Read her full profile at /about-aradhana or get in touch at /#contact.