Beginner course · 7 live online sessions · Taught in English · Session 1 free
AI Foundations: a beginner AI course, taught live online
The complete practical introduction to modern AI: what large language models (LLMs) are, how to use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok well, prompting, staying safe, and what AGI really means.
All lessons are taught live, in English.
About this course
This is the course to start with if you have heard a lot about AI but have not really used it, or you have tried ChatGPT once or twice and were not sure what to make of it.
Over seven live sessions we go from the very basics (what a large language model, or LLM, actually is, and why it can sound confident while being wrong) to using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Microsoft Copilot confidently for writing, research, planning and everyday admin. You will learn the prompting habits that make the biggest difference, get a first look at AI agents that can carry out tasks for you, and understand the debate about AGI (artificial general intelligence) well enough to see through the headlines.
This is not a webinar. Every session is a live, fully interactive class: I show you something, you can try it on your own screen if you like, and everyone is welcome to ask questions at any time. All lessons are taught in English.
You do not need any technical background. If you can send an email and use a web browser, you have all the skills you need to begin. Free versions of the tools are fine for the whole course.
How the classes work
This is not a webinar
It is a fully interactive live course, and everyone is welcome to ask questions at any time.
- Questions welcome at any time. Ask out loud or in the chat, whenever something is unclear. Not just at the end.
- No more than 15 people per group. Groups are kept small, so there is time for everyone’s questions.
- Follow along if you like. Follow along on your own laptop or tablet if you’d like, and I’ll help as you go.
- All lessons are taught in English. Clear, plain English, with no jargon left unexplained.
What you’ll be able to do by the end
- Explain in plain English what AI and large language models (LLMs) are, and what they are good and bad at
- Use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok or Copilot confidently for everyday questions
- Write clear prompts and improve answers by following up
- Draft emails, letters and messages faster, in your own voice
- Check AI answers against reliable sources before relying on them
- Understand what AI agents and AGI are, and separate the facts from the hype
- Use AI safely, knowing what personal information to keep out of it
Course outline, session by session
- Session 1free
What AI is: LLMs in plain English
What artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs) are, how tools like ChatGPT come up with their answers, and what they can and cannot do. A guided tour of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Microsoft Copilot, setting up free accounts, and your first useful conversations. This is the free first session.
- Session 2
Asking good questions: prompting basics
Prompt engineering without the jargon: giving context, a role and examples, following up to improve an answer, and why the same question can get very different results. Simple habits that make AI far more useful.
- Session 3
AI for everyday life
Planning trips and meals, making sense of confusing letters and bills, summarising long documents, learning something new, and getting step-by-step help with practical jobs around the house.
- Session 4
Writing and email
Drafting emails, letters and messages; changing the tone of something you have written; comparing how ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini handle the same task; and keeping your own voice.
- Session 5
Research and fact-checking
Using assistants that search the web, such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok, checking their sources, spotting made-up facts ("hallucinations"), and deciding when AI is the right tool and when it is not.
- Session 6
Images, voice, files and a first look at AI agents
Creating and editing images, talking to AI by voice, and uploading PDFs or spreadsheets for summaries. Then a first look at AI agents, such as OpenClaw and Grok Bot, that can carry out tasks for you rather than just chat.
- Session 7
Staying safe, AGI and your own routine
Privacy settings and what not to share, AI scams and fake images, what AGI (artificial general intelligence) means and why experts disagree about it, and putting together a routine you will actually stick to.
Course schedule
New dates are being scheduled. Please check back soon, or get in touch to be told when they are published.
Book your free first session
Book Session 1 now. Sessions 2 to 7 open in your account after your free class. Small groups of no more than 15 people. Times are shown in UK time (Europe/London).
New dates are being scheduled. Please check back soon, or get in touch to be told when they are published.
Is this the right course for you?
This course is designed for complete beginners and for people who have tried AI once or twice without really getting on with it. If you already use AI tools regularly and want to apply them to work or a business, the intermediate course may suit you better.
Want to read up first? Try What is AI? A plain-English guide or learning AI as a beginner.
Prefer to learn one-to-one? See private sessions.