AI Literacy Fundamentals

About this course

AI Literacy Fundamentals is your starting point for understanding artificial intelligence. This course covers the foundational concepts and definitions of AI, the key figures and historical developments that have shaped the field, the basics of machine learning and deep learning, and a balanced look at AI's benefits and concerns. You'll learn to: - **Define AI** and distinguish between artificial general intelligence (AGI) and artificial narrow intelligence (ANI) - **Trace the history** of AI from the 1956 Dartmouth workshop through the recent AI boom - **Understand machine learning** — supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning - **Explore deep learning** — neural networks, backpropagation, CNNs, GANs, transformers, and diffusion models - **Evaluate AI's impact** — from workplace automation and decision support to job displacement and algorithmic bias - **Debunk common myths** and develop a balanced perspective on AI's potential and limitations The course includes video lessons, knowledge checks, case studies, and key term reviews. Updated for 2026 with coverage of the latest AI models, the EU AI Act, AI agents, and the rapidly evolving generative AI landscape. This course is designed to be completed in approximately 3 to 4 hours. Includes a free digital copy of the AI Literacy Fundamentals companion book by course instructor Ben Jones.