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Nicolle Merrill

Master AI literacy basics with this generative AI for beginners course.

Employers are paying a premium for AI skills. Are you ready to become the go-to AI person in your workplace?

AI can get you a raise. The consulting firm PWC found that "jobs that require AI skills carry up to a 25% wage premium on average, underlining the value of these skills to companies."

This course teaches you how to use AI tools at work.

In this course, you'll:

Read more

Master AI literacy basics with this generative AI for beginners course.

Employers are paying a premium for AI skills. Are you ready to become the go-to AI person in your workplace?

AI can get you a raise. The consulting firm PWC found that "jobs that require AI skills carry up to a 25% wage premium on average, underlining the value of these skills to companies."

This course teaches you how to use AI tools at work.

In this course, you'll:

  • Build confidence in AI basics and generative AI understanding

  • Learn to use AI tools effectively in your workplace

  • Adapt your career for the AI-driven future

  • Develop an informed opinion on the impact of AI in our workplaces

Why take this course?

Boost your career with in-demand AI skills – no coding required. This course is perfect for:

  • Professionals looking to enhance productivity with AI

  • Team leaders wanting to understand AI benefits for their departments

  • Career changers seeking valuable AI skills for their resume

  • Anyone curious about AI but intimidated by tech jargon

The details:

In this course, we dive deep into the key topics on everyone's mind: 

1. How does generative AI work?

We start with AI basics, breaking down complex concepts like "training a model" into bite-sized, digestible explanations. No snooze-fest here – just the foundational knowledge you need to speak confidently about AI in your workplace.

2. How is generative AI used in the workplace?

Discover real-world AI applications across industries. We go beyond a typical ChatGPT course for beginners here to give you practical ways to use ChatGPT and other generative AI tools in the workplace. You'll learn:

  • How to evaluate and select AI tools for your role

  • Practical ways to use ChatGPT (and other AI tools) at work

  • How to use prompt templates to supercharge your productivity (you get access to over 50+ prompt templates for workplace tasks)

3. What's the impact of generative AI on careers?

We'll explore how AI is reshaping the workplace and answer the big question: Will AI take my job? Spoiler alert: It's complicated.

What sets this course apart?

  • Up-to-date content on the latest generative AI products

  • No coding required – we focus on practical applications

  • Interactive activities to get you hands-on with AI tools and using them for work

  • Real-world examples across industries

  • Downloadable resources and cheat sheets

  • An extended discussion on the ethics and impact of Generative AI

  • Discussion on the impact of Generative AI on your career 

  • Certificate of completion to showcase your new skills

BONUS: AI for Leaders

This course includes an extra section that covers:

  • Upskilling and building AI literacy on your team

  • Creating generative AI use policies

  • Evaluating and implementing enterprise AI tools

Who's teaching this AI goodness?

Meet Nicolle Merrill, your AI-literacy guide. A four-time career changer, Nicolle has worn many hats: study abroad advisor, luxury travel writer, global career coach, author, public speaker/trainer, and now Generative AI Product Designer.

When Nicolle started learning about AI in 2018, she had no technical background. She sat through hours of technical YouTube videos trying to make sense of engineering concepts. Eventually, she landed a role as a chatbot designer, combining her love of language with her curiosity about AI. As she continued building AI products, she noticed the lack of training to teach non-technical teams about AI. 

Frustrated by boring, overly technical AI courses, Nicolle created Boring AI (plot twist: it's not boring) to make AI literacy accessible for non-techies like her past self.

Why are there so many donuts? 

AI branding and visuals are dominated by the same colors and themes: dark blue and neon blue colors, robots and code for visuals. That's boring. So Nicolle took a different approach for her AI branding: bright colors and donuts, which is the opposite of how AI is portrayed normally. All of Nicolle's courses include pictures of donuts and references to donuts when demo'ing concepts. A side effect of taking Nicolle's courses is that many students are hungry for donuts afterwards.

Recent feedback:

"Informative and highly motivating."

"I thought AI was just marketing hype. Now I know all the ways I can use it. Thank you. "

"Very insightful session. Hopefully you'll offer similar sessions in the near future."

Ready to embrace your curiosity? Investing in your AI literacy isn't just about keeping up – it's about getting ahead. This course is designed to make you the go-to AI person in your workplace, opening doors to exciting opportunities and career potential.

Stay curious.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Demonstrate the ability to use at least three generative ai tools relevant to your job function.
  • Apply prompt engineering techniques to effectively communicate with ai tools for improved results.
  • Develop a strategy for integrating generative ai tools into your daily work routine to enhance productivity.
  • Identify at least five practical applications of generative ai in various business functions.
  • Evaluate the potential benefits and limitations of implementing generative ai in your role.
  • Formulate effective questions and prompts to maximize the utility of generative ai in problem-solving scenarios.
  • Adapt existing workflows to incorporate generative ai tools for improved efficiency.
  • Articulate the potential impact of generative ai on your industry and career trajectory.
  • Communicate the value and limitations of generative ai to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Create a personal action plan for continuous learning and skill development in the field of ai.

Syllabus

Introduction

Learn why this course exists and if you're a fit for it.

Embrace your curiosity and dive into what you'll learn in this course.

Read more

Explore how generative AI is used in being used your industry and role in this hands-on activity. Use the download below to get started.

Learn what we mean when we talk about AI literacy and see the in-demand AI skills employers are seeking.

Learn the answer to the most popular question in my courses. Spoiler alert:  It's complicated.

Play with two generative AI tools to help you in your job.

A quick and easy overview of what makes Generative AI so unique.

Learn about models and how they're used.

Learn how data is used in AI.

Generative AI is trained on all kinds of data. Learn what training means in the context of AI.

Large Language Models (LLMs) power the generative AI tools that you'll most likely encounter in the workplace. They power popular AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more.

Explore how and why outputs change between Large Language Models (LLMs).

Try out three different generative AI tools to explore and reflect on the differences in LLM outputs across them.

AI has always had bias. Here's why.

A recap of generative AI basics.

A quick overview on how generative AI works

Explore all the ways LLMs are used to get work done.

An invitation to prompt along if you feel like getting hands on before the prompting basics lesson.  Go to https://chat.openai.com/ to prompt along. 

Learn how to work with LLMs, exploring different ways to create, transform, and personalize outputs for workplace tasks.

Learn how to work with LLMs, exploring different ways to summarize and organize information, plus brainstorming with genAI assistants.

Learn how to work with LLMs. Explore through how to use LLMs for data analysis. Download the small excel file in the resources to analyze it if you are prompting along.

Learn how to work with LLMs. See how to use Q&A on documents, images, and urls. Upload your own PDFs or use the example in the resources if you're prompting along.

Once you've learned everything you can do with LLMs, start using it all together by stacking tasks.

Practice combining techniques using Gemini and a YouTube video.

A quick look at an audio and text to voice generative AI tool.

A look at what LLMs do not do well.

Hallucinations are a feature of working with generative AI. Here's how to navigate them when using GenAI for work tasks.

Building AI literacy skills means taking a holistic look at the impact of generative AI. This video covers a range of topics related to the impact and ethical considerations of using generative AI in 2024.

A review of what you've learned.

See how people are using generative AI in the workplace and how generative AI shows up in enterprise software.

A quick show and tell of different generative AI products and features.

Explore where generative AI fits in your daily and weekly workflows.

Two resources to help you find more generative AI tools to experiment with.

Categorize your tasks and learn what tools are useful for your workflows.

An easy introduction to prompting best practices.

Not all data is created equal. Learn which data you should avoid giving to models and why.

How to use the the prompt libraries which contains 100+ prompt templates.

How to use the prompt library and templates for 20+ workplace functions.

How to use the prompt library and templates for individual email communication.

How to use the prompt library and templates for team communication tasks.

How to use the prompt library and templates for data analysis.

Learn how to improve any prompt. Access to the meta prompt is on the main prompt library page.

Using the templates or your improved prompts, find five prompts that you can use in your job.

A review on what you've learned.

How generative AI has shifted the workplace in 2024.

Focus on adaptability to move through uncertain times.

Commit to conversations about generative AI in your workplace with this list of curious questions.

Exploring the evolution of generative AI and how to stay informed.

Use this prompt to get your celebration image!

Shifting your mindset to lead in digital transformation.

How to foster curiosity and learning mindsets on your teams.

A step by step process to evaluate generative AI vendors for your teams.

Three ways to improve generative AI tool implementation.

Sending you off into the generative AI chaos with some helpful resources.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides practical strategies for incorporating generative AI tools into daily routines, enhancing productivity and streamlining workplace tasks, which is highly valuable for professionals
Includes a bonus section tailored for leaders, covering upskilling teams, creating AI use policies, and evaluating enterprise AI tools, which is beneficial for managers and decision-makers
Offers over 50 prompt templates for workplace tasks, which can significantly accelerate the adoption and effective use of AI tools in various professional settings
Explores the ethical considerations and potential impact of generative AI, encouraging responsible and informed use of these technologies in the workplace, which is crucial for long-term success
Focuses on practical applications and real-world examples across industries, which helps learners understand how to leverage AI tools effectively in their specific roles and contexts
Requires learners to experiment with different generative AI tools to explore and reflect on the differences in Large Language Model outputs, which may require learners to sign up for multiple services

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Reviews summary

Applying generative ai for workplace productivity

According to learners, this course is a highly practical and accessible introduction to generative AI, specifically designed for workplace application. Students overwhelmingly praise the instructor, Nicolle Merrill, for her engaging and clear teaching style that makes complex AI concepts easy to understand for non-technical backgrounds. Many highlight the immediate utility of the content, particularly the valuable prompt library and techniques, which they could apply immediately to boost productivity. The course is seen as well-structured, comprehensive for basics, and effective at helping students build confidence in using AI tools and discussing their impact. It is considered a perfect starting point for professionals navigating the AI landscape.
Content is organized, relevant, and engaging
"The course is well-structured and easy to follow."
"Content was comprehensive and covered more than just ChatGPT."
"Kept me engaged throughout and wasn't boring!"
"The discussions on ethics and impact were particularly interesting."
Helps learners feel confident using AI
"Helped me feel more confident talking about and using generative AI."
"I feel much more confident navigating the world of AI."
"Really helped build my confidence in leveraging AI."
"Empowered me to start experimenting with AI tools."
Provided templates are very helpful for tasks
"Access to the 100+ prompt library and guide is invaluable..."
"The prompting techniques and prompt library are particularly powerful strategies."
"The prompt library alone is worth the price of the course."
"Liked having access to the useful prompt templates."
Instructor is knowledgeable and easy to follow
"Nicolle Merrill is a fantastic instructor. She is very knowledgeable and entertaining..."
"Nicolle is an excellent teacher."
"Instructor was amazing - so engaging and knowledgeable."
"Her relatable style and practical examples made learning fun and accessible."
Breaks down complex AI concepts easily
"Breaks down complicated information into easy to digest chunks."
"Explains Generative AI in plain language, without technical jargon."
"Perfect for someone with non-technical background..."
"Made complex topics accessible and easy to understand."
Focuses on using AI tools daily at work
"Provided so many examples of use cases at work..."
"Gave me practical strategies that I could apply immediately."
"Immediately started boosting my productivity at work using the techniques."
"Excellent guidance on how to apply AI to workplace tasks."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in AI Literacy Basics: Applying Generative AI in the Workplace with these activities:
Review AI Terminology
Solidify your understanding of fundamental AI concepts and terminology to better grasp the course material.
Browse courses on Artificial Intelligence
Show steps
  • Identify key AI terms from the course syllabus.
  • Research definitions and examples for each term.
  • Create flashcards or a glossary for quick reference.
Read 'AI for Everyone' by Andrew Ng
Gain a high-level understanding of AI concepts and applications before diving into the specifics of generative AI.
Show steps
  • Read the book, focusing on chapters relevant to business applications.
  • Take notes on key concepts and examples.
  • Reflect on how AI can be applied in your own workplace.
Identify AI Use Cases in Your Workplace
Apply your learning by identifying potential use cases for generative AI within your current role or organization.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm tasks or processes that could be improved with AI.
  • Research existing AI tools that address similar needs.
  • Develop a proposal outlining the potential benefits and challenges of implementing AI in your workplace.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Read 'Working With AI' by Thomas H. Davenport and Nitin Mittal
Explore the human side of AI and learn how to collaborate effectively with AI tools in the workplace.
Show steps
  • Read the book, focusing on chapters related to collaboration and job redesign.
  • Reflect on how AI can augment your own skills and responsibilities.
  • Discuss the book's insights with colleagues and explore potential applications in your workplace.
Create a Presentation on Generative AI
Solidify your understanding by creating a presentation explaining generative AI to colleagues or stakeholders.
Show steps
  • Research and gather information on generative AI concepts and applications.
  • Develop a clear and concise presentation outline.
  • Create visually appealing slides with relevant examples.
  • Practice your presentation and solicit feedback.
Write a Blog Post on AI Ethics
Deepen your understanding of the ethical considerations surrounding AI by writing a blog post on the topic.
Show steps
  • Research ethical issues related to AI, such as bias, privacy, and job displacement.
  • Develop a clear and engaging blog post outline.
  • Write your blog post, providing examples and insights.
  • Edit and proofread your post before publishing.
Develop a Prompt Template Library
Reinforce your prompt engineering skills by creating a library of reusable prompt templates for common workplace tasks.
Show steps
  • Identify common tasks in your workplace that could benefit from AI assistance.
  • Research and adapt existing prompt templates or create your own.
  • Organize your templates into a user-friendly library with clear instructions.
  • Share your library with colleagues and solicit feedback.

Career center

Learners who complete AI Literacy Basics: Applying Generative AI in the Workplace will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Prompt Engineer
A Prompt Engineer designs and refines prompts to elicit desired outputs from AI models. Understanding how generative AI models work, and how to effectively communicate with them, is crucial for this role. This course will help you develop prompt engineering techniques, maximizing the utility of generative AI in problem-solving scenarios. This course offers over 50 prompt templates for workplace tasks. You'll gain hands-on experience with AI tools, enabling you to craft prompts that generate accurate, relevant, and creative content, and improve existing ones. This course is particularly helpful because it dives deep into the nuances of prompting, and it teaches you how to get the best results from Large Language Models.
AI Implementation Consultant
An AI Implementation Consultant guides organizations in integrating AI solutions into their existing workflows. This consultant needs to understand how AI tools function, their applications across different industries, and their potential impact on various roles. This course helps build a strong understanding of AI basics and generative AI, enabling you to confidently evaluate and select AI tools. You'll also learn practical ways to use AI tools, evaluate their benefits and limitations, and develop strategies to integrate AI tools into daily routines, all of which are crucial for successfully guiding companies through AI implementation. The bonus section on AI for Leaders helps you create AI use policies and evaluate enterprise AI tools.
AI Project Coordinator
An AI Project Coordinator assists in the planning, execution, and monitoring of AI-related projects. This role requires a solid understanding of AI concepts and the ability to communicate effectively with technical teams. This course helps you build confidence in AI basics and generative AI understanding, learn to use AI tools effectively in the workplace, and communicate the value and limitations of generative AI to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. These skills will enable you to effectively manage AI projects and ensure their successful implementation.
Training and Development Specialist
A Training and Development Specialist designs and delivers programs to enhance employee skills and knowledge. As AI becomes more prevalent, these specialists need to incorporate AI literacy into their training initiatives. This course helps you build confidence in AI basics and generative AI, learn to use AI tools effectively in your workplace, and develop an informed opinion on the impact of AI in workplaces. The bonus section, AI for Leaders, directly addresses upskilling and building AI literacy on a team, as well as creating generative AI use policies.
Automation Specialist
An Automation Specialist identifies and implements opportunities to streamline processes using technology. This often involves integrating AI tools to automate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency. This course helps you learn to identify practical applications of generative AI in various business functions, evaluate the potential benefits and limitations of implementing AI, and adapt existing workflows to incorporate AI tools. This course helps you develop a strategy for integrating generative AI tools into your work routine to enhance productivity. This makes you well-equipped to leverage AI for automation initiatives.
AI Strategist
An AI Strategist develops and implements AI strategies for organizations, aligning AI initiatives with business goals. This role, often requiring a master's degree or PhD, requires a deep understanding of AI capabilities, market trends, and ethical considerations. This course may help you develop an informed opinion on the impact of AI in the workplace, see how AI is reshaping the workplace, and learn how to upskill and build AI literacy on your team. With this knowledge, you can ensure that your organization is leveraging AI effectively to achieve its strategic goals. The bonus section on AI for Leaders, which helps you create generative AI policies, is also particularly relevant.
Technical Writer
A Technical Writer creates clear and concise documentation for technical products and processes. Using AI can help streamline the writing process, generate content, and ensure accuracy. This course helps you learn to use AI tools effectively in your workplace, apply prompt engineering techniques to effectively communicate with AI tools for improved results, and adapt existing workflows to incorporate generative AI tools for improved efficiency. By mastering these skills, you will be able to produce higher-quality documentation in less time.
Digital Transformation Manager
A Digital Transformation Manager leads the effort to integrate digital technologies across an organization, improving processes and customer experiences. This requires a broad understanding of different technologies, including AI. This course helps one develop an informed opinion on the impact of AI in workplaces, identify how AI is reshaping different industries, and develop strategies for integrating AI tools into daily work routines, including digital transformations. The bonus section on AI for Leaders is particularly relevant, covering topics like upskilling teams, creating AI use policies, and evaluating enterprise AI tools.
Content Strategist
A Content Strategist plans, develops, and manages content across various platforms to achieve specific business goals. This role can benefit greatly from using AI to generate ideas, optimize content, and personalize user experiences. This course helps you learn to use AI tools effectively in your workplace, apply prompt engineering techniques for improved results, and develop a strategy for integrating generative AI tools into your daily work routine. By understanding how AI can enhance content creation and distribution, you can drive better engagement and achieve your marketing objectives.
AI Product Manager
An AI Product Manager oversees the lifecycle of AI-driven products, from conception to launch and beyond. This role requires a deep understanding of AI capabilities, market trends, and user needs. This course may help you develop a well-rounded understanding of AI basics, generative AI applications in the workplace, and the potential impact of AI on various industries. You'll learn to communicate the value and limitations of generative AI to stakeholders, identify practical AI applications in business functions, and evaluate AI tools for different roles. Additionally, you will learn about relevant AI products and features. This knowledge can help you make informed decisions about product development, strategy, and marketing.
Data Visualization Specialist
A Data Visualization Specialist transforms raw data into compelling visuals that communicate insights effectively. AI tools can assist in this process by automating chart creation, identifying patterns, and enhancing the clarity of visualizations. This course helps you learn to adapt existing workflows to incorporate generative AI tools for improved efficiency. With these skills, you will be able to create more impactful and informative visualizations, enabling better decision-making.
Innovation Manager
An Innovation Manager fosters a culture of innovation within an organization, identifying and implementing new technologies and strategies. A strong understanding of AI capabilities is essential for this role. This course may help you build confidence in AI basics and generative AI, learn to use AI tools effectively in your workplace, and develop an informed opinion on the impact of AI in the workplace. The bonus section on AI for Leaders is particularly valuable, covering how to evaluate and implement enterprise AI tools.
Market Research Analyst
A Market Research Analyst researches market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. This role can leverage AI tools to analyze large datasets, identify trends, and gain insights more efficiently. This course may help you learn to adapt existing workflows to incorporate generative AI tools for improved efficiency and to identify practical applications of generative AI in various business functions. The ability to leverage AI for data analysis and trend identification will allow you to provide more accurate and insightful market reports.
Business Analyst
A Business Analyst uses data to identify trends and insights that can improve business decisions. This course may help you learn how to formulate effective questions and prompts to maximize the utility of generative AI in problem-solving scenarios, and to adapt existing workflows to incorporate AI tools for improved efficiency. You could learn to identify practical applications of generative AI tools in various business functions. With these skills, you would be able to use AI to enhance their analytical capabilities and provide more data-driven recommendations.
Chief Technology Officer
A Chief Technology Officer develops and implements an organization's overall technology strategy. This high-level role, often requiring a master's degree or PhD, requires a deep understanding of emerging technologies, including AI. This course may help you develop an informed opinion on the impact of AI in the workplace, see how AI is reshaping the workplace, and learn how to upskill and build AI literacy on your team. The bonus section on AI for Leaders, helps you create generative AI use policies and evaluate and implement enterprise AI tools. With this knowledge, you can ensure that your organization is leveraging AI effectively to achieve its strategic goals.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in AI Literacy Basics: Applying Generative AI in the Workplace.
Provides a broad, non-technical overview of AI, making it perfect for beginners. It explains key concepts, applications, and the impact of AI on various industries. Reading this book before the course will give you a solid foundation and help you understand the bigger picture of AI in the workplace. It is commonly used as a reference for non-technical audiences.
Explores how humans and AI can collaborate effectively in the workplace. It provides practical guidance on redesigning jobs, managing AI projects, and developing the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven environment. This book is more valuable as additional reading than it is as a current reference. It is commonly used by industry professionals.

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