A free Deakin-run program built on Google AI Essentials content plus customised material, mixing self-paced online study with about 10 hours of live interactive sessions. It focuses on practical prompting, productivity and responsible use for small business staff, students and educators.
A plain-language introduction to what AI is, how it solves problems and how machine learning and neural networks work, with no programming or heavy maths. It closes by looking at what AI means for jobs and society. One of the most widely taken free AI courses in the world.
Objectives
Understand what AI is and how it is changing workplaces
Use AI tools to automate tasks and create content
Write clearer prompts to get better results
Use AI responsibly with attention to privacy and bias
Keep pace with emerging AI trends
Explain what AI is and is not, and how it relates to nearby fields
Describe how AI searches for solutions and handles uncertainty using probability
Tell the main types of machine learning apart and give examples
Outline how neural networks are built and what they are good at
Judge claims about AI in the news more critically
Discuss the likely social and workplace effects of AI
Things to know
Eligibility limited to SME employees, tertiary students 18+ and educators
Cohorts capped at 300; registrations close on the 25th of the month before each cohort
Total hours not published: about 10 hours of live sessions plus self-paced study
Program site is a JavaScript app that could not be read directly; details confirmed from Deakin research grant listings and council event pages
Content based on Google AI Essentials, so tool examples lean towards Google products
Provider estimates 4 to 8 hours per part across 6 parts, so total time is about 24 to 48 hours
Content predates much of the generative AI wave, so it covers foundations rather than tools like ChatGPT
ECTS credits only available through the Open University of the University of Helsinki
Free account needed to track progress and get the certificate
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