Generative AI Foundations for Absolute Beginners
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Generative AI Foundations for Absolute Beginners
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What you'll learn
Understand the fundamentals of AI, machine learning, and deep learning
Learn how Generative AI creates text, images, audio, and video
Explore self-supervised learning and its applications in AI
Gain practical insights into how to use Generative AI in business and creative projects
Skills you'll gain
Tools you'll learn
Details to know
February 2026
8 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
There are 7 modules in this course
This course features Coursera Coach!
A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. Generative AI is transforming how content is created, and this course offers a comprehensive introduction to this cutting-edge technology. You'll gain a foundational understanding of AI, machine learning, deep learning, and how Generative AI is applied in diverse fields such as text, image, and video generation. As you progress, you will dive into the technical foundations, including neural networks, large language models (LLMs), and self-supervised learning. The course progresses step-by-step, with a focus on practical knowledge and real-time applications, helping you not only understand concepts but also gain hands-on experience. This course is suitable for beginners with no prior technical knowledge in AI. It walks you through the basics, from machine learning to deep learning and the workings of Generative AI. Each section of the course builds upon the previous one, ensuring a smooth learning experience. You’ll also explore the limitations and ethical considerations of using AI, preparing you for a balanced perspective in the field. The course is designed for those curious about the potential and limitations of Generative AI in both creative and professional contexts. By the end of the course, you will be able to understand core AI concepts, apply machine learning techniques, work with Generative AI models, and implement them across various creative use cases, including text and image generation.
In this module, we will introduce you to the world of Generative AI, explaining what you can expect to learn throughout the course. You will get an overview of the topics covered, providing a solid foundation for understanding AI, its history, and its present-day applications.
What's included
1 video1 reading
1 video•Total 2 minutes
- Welcome!•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Full Course Resources•10 minutes
In this module, we will explore the fundamental building blocks of AI, including machine learning and deep learning, and see how they all come together to power advanced AI technologies. You will learn about the historical context and current applications of AI, with a special focus on Generative AI and its transformative role in content generation. By the end of this section, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of AI’s landscape and how each piece contributes to the puzzle.
What's included
6 videos1 assignment
6 videos•Total 23 minutes
- Introduction•2 minutes
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)•8 minutes
- Machine Learning (ML)•5 minutes
- Deep Learning (DL)•3 minutes
- Generative AI (Gen AI)•4 minutes
- Summary•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Let's Build the AI Puzzle - Assessment•15 minutes
In this module, we will introduce you to the world of machine learning, covering its foundational principles, tasks, and applications. You’ll also learn how machine learning models are trained using data and feedback, providing you with a strong understanding of the processes that drive AI systems.
What's included
9 videos1 assignment
9 videos•Total 47 minutes
- Introduction•3 minutes
- The ML Box (I/O)•4 minutes
- Typical ML Tasks•6 minutes
- Training Phase•5 minutes
- Y = F(X) - OMG!•6 minutes
- Data Types•5 minutes
- Features•5 minutes
- Please Call the Supervisor!•9 minutes
- Summary•6 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Soft Introduction to Machine Learning - Assessment•15 minutes
In this module, we will explore the technologies powering Generative AI, focusing on neural networks, deep learning architectures, and large language models (LLMs). You’ll gain insights into the cutting-edge methods like self-supervised learning, which enhance AI models' ability to generate content, and learn how these models adapt and evolve to produce remarkable outputs.
What's included
12 videos1 assignment
12 videos•Total 62 minutes
- Introduction•2 minutes
- Artificial Neural Networks•3 minutes
- Deep Learning Architectures•8 minutes
- Foundation Models•4 minutes
- Large Language Models (LLMs)•5 minutes
- Model Types•4 minutes
- Prompt and Tokens•5 minutes
- Total Tokens and Context Window•4 minutes
- Next Token Please!•4 minutes
- Self-Supervised Learning•7 minutes
- Improving and Adapting LLMs•8 minutes
- Summary•7 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- The Magic Behind Generative AI - Assessment•15 minutes
In this module, we will delve into the key challenges and limitations of Generative AI, including its sensitivity to prompts and the impact of its non-deterministic nature. We’ll explore common issues such as AI hallucinations, lack of common sense, and how bias and fairness concerns can affect model performance. You will also learn how to address these challenges while ensuring data privacy and security.
What's included
10 videos1 assignment
10 videos•Total 29 minutes
- Introduction•2 minutes
- Prompt Sensitivity•3 minutes
- Knowledge Cutoff•4 minutes
- It is not Deterministic•4 minutes
- Structured Data•3 minutes
- Hallucinations•2 minutes
- Lack of Common Sense•2 minutes
- Bias and Fairness•3 minutes
- Data Privacy, Security, and Misuse•2 minutes
- Summary•4 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Key Challenges and Limitations - Assessment•15 minutes
In this module, we will showcase the versatile applications of Generative AI, from content creation to enhancing AI-based apps. You’ll learn how to harness the power of Generative AI for generating text, images, and other media, as well as how to implement it for tasks such as code generation and idea brainstorming. Best practices for crafting effective prompts will also be covered to help you make the most of AI's capabilities.
What's included
12 videos1 assignment
12 videos•Total 47 minutes
- Introduction•2 minutes
- Text-Image-Video-Audio Generation•6 minutes
- Web-Based vs Application-Based (APIs)•4 minutes
- Use Case - Brainstorm Assistant•4 minutes
- Use Case - Summarization•3 minutes
- Use Case – Text Enhancement•2 minutes
- Use Case - Code Generation•7 minutes
- Use Case – Content as a Framework•3 minutes
- Use Case – Images on Demand•3 minutes
- Use Case – Boosting AI-Based Apps•3 minutes
- Best Practices for Prompts•7 minutes
- Summary•4 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Unleash the Power of Generative AI - Assessment•15 minutes
In this final module, we will recap all the key concepts covered in the course, helping you to connect the dots and solidify your understanding of Generative AI. You will also receive encouragement to continue your learning journey and explore new areas of AI as you apply your newfound knowledge.
What's included
2 videos3 assignments
2 videos•Total 10 minutes
- Let's Recap•9 minutes
- Thank You!•1 minute
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
- Full Course Practice Assessment•15 minutes
- Course Summary - Assessment•15 minutes
- Full Course Assessment•60 minutes
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Frequently asked questions
Generative AI refers to a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content, such as text, images, audio, and more, by learning patterns from existing data. This technology is relevant because it is transforming how we generate creative content, automate tasks, and even solve complex problems in various fields, including entertainment, healthcare, and software development. Generative AI models, such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and deep learning techniques, are at the forefront of AI innovation.
This specialization provides a foundational understanding of Generative AI for absolute beginners. It covers the key concepts in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Deep Learning (DL), with a focus on the technologies and techniques that power Generative AI systems. You will learn about neural networks, large language models (LLMs), and various use cases, from text and image generation to AI-powered code creation. The specialization also explores the challenges and limitations associated with AI.
After completing this specialization, you will have a solid understanding of Generative AI concepts and technologies. You will be able to understand how machine learning and deep learning models work, how Generative AI can be applied in real-world scenarios, and how to leverage AI tools for tasks like content generation, summarization, and code creation. Additionally, you will be equipped with knowledge of the challenges and limitations of AI systems, such as bias and fairness issues.
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