A short, plain-language IBM introduction to how AI learns, how people and AI can work together, and the benefits, risks and ethics involved. It finishes with a hands-on task guiding an AI assistant through a simple business problem.
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
Describe how AI systems learn and improve
Explain key AI concepts and enabling technologies
Weigh the benefits and risks of AI and discuss AI ethics
Guide an AI assistant to solve a simple business challenge
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
Free SkillsBuild account required; course pages sit behind login
Pass mark of 80% on quizzes needed for the badge
Claim the badge in Credly using the same email address
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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