Generative AI Essentials: A Comprehensive Introduction
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Generative AI Essentials: A Comprehensive Introduction
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What you'll learn
The foundational principles and real-world impact of Generative AI.
How to interact with AI using effective prompts.
Practical applications of Generative AI in daily life and work.
Ethical and responsible use of AI technologies.
Skills you'll gain
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There are 3 modules in this course
Unlock the future with Generative AI! This beginner-friendly course empowers you to understand, interact with, and ethically apply Generative AI in real-world scenarios. Dive deep into the core concepts, discover how AI creates new content, and explore its transformative impact on society and organizations. Learn prompt engineering, practical applications, and responsible AI use—no programming experience required. Start your journey on Coursera and gain the skills to innovate with confidence.
This course is your gateway to becoming proficient in the world of AI, making it an essential addition to your learning journey.
Module 1 Serves as an introduction to Generative AI. The module is designed to take you on a journey through the world of Generative AI with our module designed for you. Grasp the core principles of this groundbreaking technology, understand its profound societal and organizational impacts, and track its evolution. This module simplifies complex concepts, making them accessible to everyone. Join us to comprehend and harness the power of Generative AI for a progressive future.
What's included
10 videos10 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts
10 videos•Total 47 minutes
- What is GenAI?•5 minutes
- GenAI Today & Tomorrow•3 minutes
- The Journey of Gen AI•5 minutes
- Design and Engineering•5 minutes
- The Humanware•4 minutes
- How does GenAI work•3 minutes
- How does AI learn•6 minutes
- Generative AI Models•5 minutes
- LLM-Ops•5 minutes
- Inside the brain of GPT•6 minutes
10 readings•Total 114 minutes
- Welcome to the Course•2 minutes
- Course Syllabus•5 minutes
- Disclaimer•2 minutes
- The Evolution of Generative AI•10 minutes
- Limitations of GenAI - Current State•15 minutes
- The Inflection Point•10 minutes
- Some core concepts•30 minutes
- Data Architecture, Performance & GenAI•15 minutes
- Glossary: Common Generative AI Terms•15 minutes
- Difference between A Search Engine and GPT•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 35 minutes
- Generative AI - an Introduction •10 minutes
- How does GenAI Work•10 minutes
- Introduction to GenAI•15 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- Demystifying Generative AI - What Does it Mean to You?•10 minutes
- Generative AI and You•10 minutes
Module 2 helps you dive into the interactive world of Generative AI with our module tailored for you. Learn to engage with AI through prompts, discover its everyday applications, and understand the workings and advantages of these applications. This module demystifies AI, making it approachable and beneficial for all. Join us to unlock the potential of Generative AI in your daily life.
What's included
15 videos10 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts4 ungraded labs
15 videos•Total 70 minutes
- What is a prompt?•4 minutes
- Prompting GPTs•2 minutes
- One Shot Prompt•5 minutes
- Chain of Thought Prompts•5 minutes
- Role playing in prompt design•3 minutes
- Refining Prompts•3 minutes
- AI is already in your daily life•6 minutes
- Creating Content with Generative AI•7 minutes
- Writing emails with Generative AI•4 minutes
- Creating Media with Generative AI•6 minutes
- Let's Create Some Greetings Card•3 minutes
- Generative AI - Your Thought Partner•4 minutes
- Generate Code - Quickly and Efficiently•7 minutes
- Debugging codes with Gen AI•7 minutes
- Gen AI and Code Refactoring•6 minutes
10 readings•Total 118 minutes
- Practice Prompting•10 minutes
- The Art of Asking•5 minutes
- Suggested Reading: Economic Impact of GenAI•30 minutes
- The Future with AI•10 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Visualizing Ideas•10 minutes
- Can GenAI be trusted with generated code?•8 minutes
- Efficiency and AI•10 minutes
- Marketing with Generative AI•10 minutes
- Staying Relevant in the Generative AI Landscape•10 minutes
- The Future of Work With GenAI•15 minutes
3 assignments•Total 30 minutes
- Prompting Fundamentals•10 minutes
- Generative AI in Daily Life•10 minutes
- Generative AI in Daily Life•10 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- Thoughts about Prompting•10 minutes
- Generative AI: Friend or Foe? The Impact on Our Lives and Jobs•10 minutes
4 ungraded labs•Total 105 minutes
- One shot Prompt•15 minutes
- Some More Prompting•15 minutes
- Thought Partner•30 minutes
- Your Code Companion•45 minutes
Module 3 is designed for you to explore the ethical dimensions of Generative AI in our focused module, suitable for all audiences. Delve into the responsible use of this technology, evaluating its implementation with a critical eye on ethics. Gain insights into the importance of integrity in AI development and usage. This module empowers you with the knowledge to ensure that Generative AI serves the greater good.
What's included
7 videos12 readings2 assignments
7 videos•Total 32 minutes
- Is AI taking over?•5 minutes
- Biases & Generative AI•5 minutes
- Generative AI & the challenges they bring•5 minutes
- Principles of Responsible AI in the Generative AI Era•6 minutes
- Ethics in the Age of AI - The Challenges•4 minutes
- AI & RAI Across Industries•5 minutes
- A day in the life of a Data Scientist•2 minutes
12 readings•Total 142 minutes
- YouTube Video: AI Is Dangerous, but Not for the Reasons You Think•10 minutes
- The necessary intersection of Generative AI, Responsible AI & Emotions•15 minutes
- The Need for Regulating AI•15 minutes
- The Need for a Diverse AI Team•15 minutes
- Recommended Reading•30 minutes
- Congratulations•5 minutes
- Acknowledgments•2 minutes
- The Importance of Diversity in Artificial Intelligence: Violet Turri•10 minutes
- How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | TED•10 minutes
- The Current State of Generative AI•10 minutes
- Andrew Ng on AI's Potential Effect on the Labor Force | WSJ•10 minutes
- Towards a Greener Tomorrow•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 30 minutes
- The GenAI problem•10 minutes
- Responsible & Ethical AI•20 minutes
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Reviewed on Nov 2, 2024
An excellent introduction to Generative AI, with a comprehensive selection of recommended reading.
Reviewed on Jul 7, 2025
Very well built course with right mix of practical tasks and theory/video presentation
Reviewed on Oct 13, 2025
Decent introduction and consideration of all aspects of GenAI. It does leave the ethical concerns, especially environmental impact and intellectual property infringement as more of an afterthought.
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