Generative AI Fundamentals
Understand how generative AI works — transformers, diffusion models, LLMs, prompt engineering, and RAG. 8-lesson course with certificate — try 2 free.
Generative AI isn’t just chatbots. It’s the technology creating images from text, writing code, composing music, generating video, and building entire applications from a description. But most people are using these tools without understanding what’s going on underneath — which means they can’t tell the difference between the right tool for a job and the wrong one.
This course gives you the foundation. You’ll understand how transformers, diffusion models, and LLMs actually work (in plain terms), compare the leading tools, and learn when to use prompting vs. RAG vs. fine-tuning.
You’ll start with the mechanics — how generative AI creates text, images, and audio from training data. Then you’ll compare the four major architectures (transformers, GANs, VAEs, diffusion models) and understand which ones power which tools.
The practical lessons cover prompt engineering techniques that work across every platform, when RAG is the right choice vs. fine-tuning, and the ethical risks you should actually worry about — hallucination, bias, deepfakes, and copyright.
What You'll Learn
- Explain how generative AI creates text, images, and audio from training data
- Identify the four main generative architectures — transformers, GANs, VAEs, and diffusion models
- Compare leading gen AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Midjourney) by use case and strengths
- Apply prompt engineering techniques — zero-shot, few-shot, chain-of-thought, and role prompting
- Evaluate when to use RAG vs fine-tuning vs prompting for a given business problem
- Assess ethical risks including hallucination, deepfakes, bias, and copyright
After This Course, You Can
What You'll Build
Course Syllabus
Who Is This For?
- Professionals in any field who use AI tools and want to understand the technology behind them
- Business leaders evaluating where generative AI fits in their organization's strategy
- Students building a foundation in AI who want to understand the technology that's changing every industry
- Anyone who's used ChatGPT or Midjourney and thought "how does this actually work?"
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need programming experience?
No. This course explains generative AI concepts and tools without requiring any coding. You'll learn to use AI tools effectively through prompting, not programming.
How is this different from the AI Fundamentals course?
AI Fundamentals covers broad AI concepts (machine learning, automation, business applications). This course dives deep into generative AI specifically — how LLMs work, image generation, prompt engineering, RAG, and the latest tools.
Will this course become outdated quickly?
The fundamentals (transformer architecture, diffusion models, prompt techniques) are stable. Tool-specific details are current as of 2026, and the principles apply regardless of which tools lead the market.
What can I do with the certificate?
Share your certificate on LinkedIn or add it to your resume to demonstrate generative AI literacy — an increasingly valued skill across industries.
