AI Basics: What Every Professional Needs to Know

Course details

This course demystifies artificial intelligence for absolute beginners—with no technical background required. Join instructor and AI expert Laurence Moroney as he outlines the essentials of what AI is, how it works at a high level, and why it matters to your everyday life and career. Through clear explanations and real-world examples, discover what AI can and can’t do, how to spot the limitations of modern AI systems, and how to manage the hype along the way. Explore practical applications across industries and develop a framework for thinking critically about AI's impact. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped to confidently discuss AI topics and make informed decisions about using AI tools in your work.

Learning objectives
Define core AI concepts including machine learning, neural networks, and generative AI in plain language.
Identify practical AI use cases and evaluate which problems AI can and can’t solve.
Recognize some of the most important ethical considerations, biases, and societal impacts of AI systems.
Apply AI thinking to identify opportunities to use AI tools in your own role.

Concepts

Introduction

Learn AI essentials for the workplace

Breaking the Hype

Ignore the hype
Reset your expectations
Prompt engineering - How to speak human
Will AI take your job
Avoid work slop

Mechanics of AI

The paradigm shift - Rules vs. data
The hello world of machine learning - Patterns and predictions
Demystifying neural networks - Thinking in filters
Computer vision - How machines see
The two lives of AI - Training vs. inference
The roots of bias - It s not malice, it s math

Generative AI and Agents

Predictive vs. generative - The shift from sorting to creating
Inside the LLM - Autocomplete on steroids
Hallucinations - Why AI prioritizes fluency over truth
RAG - Giving the AI an open book exam
Creating order from chaos
AI agents - Moving from chatting to acting

Putting AI to Work - Practical Strategies

The 20-minute task rule - Finding the goldilocks zone
Conversational data analysis - Insights without code
English is the new syntax - Coding for non-coders
The AI lie detector - Questions to ask vendors
The white shoes problem - Engineering fairness

The Future of AI - Safety, Strategy, and You

Deepfakes and digital trust - Seeing is no longer believing
The essential AI stack - Keep it simple
The future is small - Cloud vs. on-device AI
The infinite learner - How to grok the future
The 20-minute challenge - Moving from watcher to user

Conclusion

You are now force-multiplied