Learn AI for free, from scratch
Wondering how to learn AI when you have no technical background? This is a free, step-by-step course for beginners that starts from zero, in plain English. Seven topics, in a sensible order, take you from your first prompt to a real understanding of how AI works and how to use it well.
It costs nothing, there is nothing to sign up for, and there is no maths or coding. If you have been looking for an 'AI for dummies' style introduction, this is it, without the condescension.
New to all of this?Start with what AI really is, then how to use AI, which gets you having your first conversation with an AI tool in about ten minutes. After that, start at the top of the list below, or jump to whatever you need. There is no wrong way through.
The full path is about 5 hours of reading. Each topic takes between about 10 minutes and about 1.5 hours, and you can read them in any order.
- 💡1. AI EssentialsBeginnerWhat AI is, how it works, and the tools available to you.22 guides
- ✏️2. Prompt CraftBeginnerHow to talk to AI effectively and get the results you need.7 guides
- 📝3. Markdown BasicsBeginnerThe simple formatting language that makes you better at working with AI.3 guides
- 🛠️4. AI in PracticeBeginnerApplying AI to real tasks: writing, research, analysis, and more.16 guides
- 🛡️5. Using AI SafelyBeginnerStaying safe with AI: spotting scams and deepfakes, protecting your privacy, and checking what AI tells you.10 guides
- 💼6. AI at WorkBeginnerUsing AI on the job with confidence: what it can do, staying safe and honest with it, and where it is heading.10 guides
- 🔭7. Going DeeperIntermediateConcepts like RAG, embeddings, and fine-tuning, explained clearly.15 guides
Your progress is saved privately in this browser only, never sent anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this AI course really free?
- Yes. Every guide is free to read, and there is no sign-up, no account, and no trial that runs out. You do not need to give us your email address to use any of it.
- Do I need to be good with computers?
- No. If you can use a web browser and type an email, you have all the skills you need. Everything is written in plain English, every technical word is explained when it first appears, and there is no maths or coding.
- How long will it take?
- It depends how much you want to read. The whole course is about 5 hours of reading, and a single topic takes between about 10 minutes and about 1.5 hours. Most people read a guide or two at a time, and your first useful conversation with AI can happen within ten minutes of starting.
- What will I be able to do at the end?
- You will be able to choose an AI tool that suits you, ask for what you want clearly, improve an answer that is not quite right, check what AI tells you, and keep your personal information safe. You will also understand, in plain terms, how these tools work and where their limits are. The course does not offer a certificate; the reward is the confidence to use AI well.