AI

Beginner course

AI Basics for Beginners

Use AI safely for everyday tasks, understand limitations, and know when human review is required.

Learning outcome

Use AI safely for everyday tasks, understand limitations, and know when human review is required.

Course project

Create a personal AI use policy and a first reusable prompt checklist.

Safety rule

Do not paste passwords, payment data, private IDs, customer records, or illegal requests into AI tools.

Course syllabus

Learn, do, quiz, and save proof.

Module 1

Understand the AI toolbox

1What AI tools can and cannot doSeparate useful AI support from risky over-trust, fake facts, and private data mistakes.Start lab

1. Learn

This lesson teaches one practical AI habit: Separate useful AI support from risky over-trust, fake facts, and private data mistakes. You will apply it to a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, compare the AI output with the goal, then save a reusable version only after review.

  1. 1Open ChatGPT or the closest approved tool for this task family.
  2. 2Paste the lab prompt, replace the bracketed parts with a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, and answer any clarifying questions.
  3. 3Review the output for facts, missing context, privacy, risky claims, and whether it solves the original task.
  4. 4Improve one weak part, then save the prompt, final output, and review note as course evidence.

2. Study the example

Example: use ChatGPT to complete this task: Classify 12 tasks as safe for AI, needs human review, or should not be shared. A strong result names the goal, gives enough context, asks for a specific format, marks assumptions, and includes a human review step before use.

Job seeker use

Use this skill to build safer job-search assets: tailored resumes, LinkedIn summaries, networking messages, company research notes, ethical interview preparation, and application tracking templates.

Student use

Use this skill for study plans, summaries, practice quizzes, class notes, project outlines, and revision checklists without submitting AI work as your own when your school rules prohibit it.

3. Proof to save

Saved AI safety checklist.

Copy-ready lab prompt

You are helping me complete a practical AI-for-work task.

Task: [describe your real task]
Goal: Separate useful AI support from risky over-trust, fake facts, and private data mistakes.
Tool I may use: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity
Audience: [who will read or use the output]
Constraints: keep it accurate, private-data safe, and easy to review.

First ask up to 3 clarifying questions if needed. Then create the output in a clear structure. End with assumptions, risk checks, and a final checklist before I use the result.

Tools to try

ChatGPTGeminiCopilotPerplexity

4. Quick quiz and checklist

Identify 5 common AI limitations from short scenarios.

  • Does the prompt include goal, context, audience, and output format?
  • Did you remove private, sensitive, payment, legal, medical, or account data?
  • Did you check facts, numbers, claims, tone, and missing assumptions?
  • Did you save the final prompt, output, and review notes as proof?

Common mistakes

  • Asking a one-line prompt with no audience, source, format, or success criteria.
  • Pasting private customer, payment, account, legal, medical, or employer-confidential information.
  • Using the AI answer without checking facts, numbers, tone, assumptions, and missing steps.

Passing answer key

A passing answer explains which tool you chose, why it fits the task, what context you gave it, how you checked the output, and what you changed before saving the final work sample, prompt, or workflow.

Rubric

  • Clear task and audience: 25%
  • Useful prompt structure and tool choice: 25%
  • Human review, privacy, and safety checks: 25%
  • Reusable saved template or work sample: 25%
2Pick the right tool for the outputChoose chat, search, image, video, office, or automation tools based on the work outcome.Start lab

1. Learn

This lesson teaches one practical AI habit: Choose chat, search, image, video, office, or automation tools based on the work outcome. You will apply it to a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, compare the AI output with the goal, then save a reusable version only after review.

  1. 1Open ChatGPT or the closest approved tool for this task family.
  2. 2Paste the lab prompt, replace the bracketed parts with a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, and answer any clarifying questions.
  3. 3Review the output for facts, missing context, privacy, risky claims, and whether it solves the original task.
  4. 4Improve one weak part, then save the prompt, final output, and review note as course evidence.

2. Study the example

Example: use ChatGPT to complete this task: Match business, study, content, and admin tasks to the best tool category. A strong result names the goal, gives enough context, asks for a specific format, marks assumptions, and includes a human review step before use.

Job seeker use

Use this skill to build safer job-search assets: tailored resumes, LinkedIn summaries, networking messages, company research notes, ethical interview preparation, and application tracking templates.

Student use

Use this skill for study plans, summaries, practice quizzes, class notes, project outlines, and revision checklists without submitting AI work as your own when your school rules prohibit it.

3. Proof to save

Tool-choice worksheet.

Copy-ready lab prompt

You are helping me complete a practical AI-for-work task.

Task: [describe your real task]
Goal: Choose chat, search, image, video, office, or automation tools based on the work outcome.
Tool I may use: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity
Audience: [who will read or use the output]
Constraints: keep it accurate, private-data safe, and easy to review.

First ask up to 3 clarifying questions if needed. Then create the output in a clear structure. End with assumptions, risk checks, and a final checklist before I use the result.

Tools to try

ChatGPTGeminiCopilotPerplexity

4. Quick quiz and checklist

Choose the best tool category for 8 real tasks.

  • Does the prompt include goal, context, audience, and output format?
  • Did you remove private, sensitive, payment, legal, medical, or account data?
  • Did you check facts, numbers, claims, tone, and missing assumptions?
  • Did you save the final prompt, output, and review notes as proof?

Common mistakes

  • Asking a one-line prompt with no audience, source, format, or success criteria.
  • Pasting private customer, payment, account, legal, medical, or employer-confidential information.
  • Using the AI answer without checking facts, numbers, tone, assumptions, and missing steps.

Passing answer key

A passing answer explains which tool you chose, why it fits the task, what context you gave it, how you checked the output, and what you changed before saving the final work sample, prompt, or workflow.

Rubric

  • Clear task and audience: 25%
  • Useful prompt structure and tool choice: 25%
  • Human review, privacy, and safety checks: 25%
  • Reusable saved template or work sample: 25%

Module 2

Build the first useful prompt

1Goal, context, input, format, toneWrite prompts that give clear, useful, reviewable answers.Start lab

1. Learn

This lesson teaches one practical AI habit: Write prompts that give clear, useful, reviewable answers. You will apply it to a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, compare the AI output with the goal, then save a reusable version only after review.

  1. 1Open ChatGPT or the closest approved tool for this task family.
  2. 2Paste the lab prompt, replace the bracketed parts with a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, and answer any clarifying questions.
  3. 3Review the output for facts, missing context, privacy, risky claims, and whether it solves the original task.
  4. 4Improve one weak part, then save the prompt, final output, and review note as course evidence.

2. Study the example

Example: use ChatGPT to complete this task: Rewrite weak prompts for email, research, planning, and customer replies. A strong result names the goal, gives enough context, asks for a specific format, marks assumptions, and includes a human review step before use.

Job seeker use

Use this skill to build safer job-search assets: tailored resumes, LinkedIn summaries, networking messages, company research notes, ethical interview preparation, and application tracking templates.

Student use

Use this skill for study plans, summaries, practice quizzes, class notes, project outlines, and revision checklists without submitting AI work as your own when your school rules prohibit it.

3. Proof to save

Three improved prompts saved.

Copy-ready lab prompt

You are helping me complete a practical AI-for-work task.

Task: [describe your real task]
Goal: Write prompts that give clear, useful, reviewable answers.
Tool I may use: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity
Audience: [who will read or use the output]
Constraints: keep it accurate, private-data safe, and easy to review.

First ask up to 3 clarifying questions if needed. Then create the output in a clear structure. End with assumptions, risk checks, and a final checklist before I use the result.

Tools to try

ChatGPTGeminiCopilotPerplexity

4. Quick quiz and checklist

Spot missing prompt parts in 6 examples.

  • Does the prompt include goal, context, audience, and output format?
  • Did you remove private, sensitive, payment, legal, medical, or account data?
  • Did you check facts, numbers, claims, tone, and missing assumptions?
  • Did you save the final prompt, output, and review notes as proof?

Common mistakes

  • Asking a one-line prompt with no audience, source, format, or success criteria.
  • Pasting private customer, payment, account, legal, medical, or employer-confidential information.
  • Using the AI answer without checking facts, numbers, tone, assumptions, and missing steps.

Passing answer key

A passing answer explains which tool you chose, why it fits the task, what context you gave it, how you checked the output, and what you changed before saving the final work sample, prompt, or workflow.

Rubric

  • Clear task and audience: 25%
  • Useful prompt structure and tool choice: 25%
  • Human review, privacy, and safety checks: 25%
  • Reusable saved template or work sample: 25%
2Review AI output before using itCheck facts, tone, privacy, risky claims, and next steps before publishing or sending.Start lab

1. Learn

This lesson teaches one practical AI habit: Check facts, tone, privacy, risky claims, and next steps before publishing or sending. You will apply it to a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, compare the AI output with the goal, then save a reusable version only after review.

  1. 1Open ChatGPT or the closest approved tool for this task family.
  2. 2Paste the lab prompt, replace the bracketed parts with a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, and answer any clarifying questions.
  3. 3Review the output for facts, missing context, privacy, risky claims, and whether it solves the original task.
  4. 4Improve one weak part, then save the prompt, final output, and review note as course evidence.

2. Study the example

Example: use ChatGPT to complete this task: Run the output review checklist on three generated drafts. A strong result names the goal, gives enough context, asks for a specific format, marks assumptions, and includes a human review step before use.

Job seeker use

Use this skill to build safer job-search assets: tailored resumes, LinkedIn summaries, networking messages, company research notes, ethical interview preparation, and application tracking templates.

Student use

Use this skill for study plans, summaries, practice quizzes, class notes, project outlines, and revision checklists without submitting AI work as your own when your school rules prohibit it.

3. Proof to save

Completed review checklist.

Copy-ready lab prompt

You are helping me complete a practical AI-for-work task.

Task: [describe your real task]
Goal: Check facts, tone, privacy, risky claims, and next steps before publishing or sending.
Tool I may use: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity
Audience: [who will read or use the output]
Constraints: keep it accurate, private-data safe, and easy to review.

First ask up to 3 clarifying questions if needed. Then create the output in a clear structure. End with assumptions, risk checks, and a final checklist before I use the result.

Tools to try

ChatGPTGeminiCopilotPerplexity

4. Quick quiz and checklist

Find unsafe claims in sample AI output.

  • Does the prompt include goal, context, audience, and output format?
  • Did you remove private, sensitive, payment, legal, medical, or account data?
  • Did you check facts, numbers, claims, tone, and missing assumptions?
  • Did you save the final prompt, output, and review notes as proof?

Common mistakes

  • Asking a one-line prompt with no audience, source, format, or success criteria.
  • Pasting private customer, payment, account, legal, medical, or employer-confidential information.
  • Using the AI answer without checking facts, numbers, tone, assumptions, and missing steps.

Passing answer key

A passing answer explains which tool you chose, why it fits the task, what context you gave it, how you checked the output, and what you changed before saving the final work sample, prompt, or workflow.

Rubric

  • Clear task and audience: 25%
  • Useful prompt structure and tool choice: 25%
  • Human review, privacy, and safety checks: 25%
  • Reusable saved template or work sample: 25%
3Build your first personal AI rulebookCreate simple rules for what you will use AI for, what you will never paste, and what must be checked by a person.Start lab

1. Learn

This lesson teaches one practical AI habit: Create simple rules for what you will use AI for, what you will never paste, and what must be checked by a person. You will apply it to a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, compare the AI output with the goal, then save a reusable version only after review.

  1. 1Open ChatGPT or the closest approved tool for this task family.
  2. 2Paste the lab prompt, replace the bracketed parts with a real work sample, prompt, or workflow, and answer any clarifying questions.
  3. 3Review the output for facts, missing context, privacy, risky claims, and whether it solves the original task.
  4. 4Improve one weak part, then save the prompt, final output, and review note as course evidence.

2. Study the example

Example: use ChatGPT to complete this task: Write a one-page rulebook with allowed tasks, blocked data, review steps, and a daily practice goal. A strong result names the goal, gives enough context, asks for a specific format, marks assumptions, and includes a human review step before use.

Job seeker use

Use this skill to build safer job-search assets: tailored resumes, LinkedIn summaries, networking messages, company research notes, ethical interview preparation, and application tracking templates.

Student use

Use this skill for study plans, summaries, practice quizzes, class notes, project outlines, and revision checklists without submitting AI work as your own when your school rules prohibit it.

3. Proof to save

Personal AI rulebook.

Copy-ready lab prompt

You are helping me complete a practical AI-for-work task.

Task: [describe your real task]
Goal: Create simple rules for what you will use AI for, what you will never paste, and what must be checked by a person.
Tool I may use: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity
Audience: [who will read or use the output]
Constraints: keep it accurate, private-data safe, and easy to review.

First ask up to 3 clarifying questions if needed. Then create the output in a clear structure. End with assumptions, risk checks, and a final checklist before I use the result.

Tools to try

ChatGPTGeminiCopilotPerplexity

4. Quick quiz and checklist

Choose which tasks are safe, review-needed, or blocked before using AI.

  • Does the prompt include goal, context, audience, and output format?
  • Did you remove private, sensitive, payment, legal, medical, or account data?
  • Did you check facts, numbers, claims, tone, and missing assumptions?
  • Did you save the final prompt, output, and review notes as proof?

Common mistakes

  • Asking a one-line prompt with no audience, source, format, or success criteria.
  • Pasting private customer, payment, account, legal, medical, or employer-confidential information.
  • Using the AI answer without checking facts, numbers, tone, assumptions, and missing steps.

Passing answer key

A passing answer explains which tool you chose, why it fits the task, what context you gave it, how you checked the output, and what you changed before saving the final work sample, prompt, or workflow.

Rubric

  • Clear task and audience: 25%
  • Useful prompt structure and tool choice: 25%
  • Human review, privacy, and safety checks: 25%
  • Reusable saved template or work sample: 25%

Certificate evidence

This course contributes to your AI work portfolio.

Finish the lessons, save your prompts and outputs, then use the capstone checklist to show what AI did, what you reviewed, and where human judgment was required.

View certificate pathBack to all courses