AI Foundations
AI basics
Understand the technology you'll build with
Before you build apps with AI, it helps to know what AI actually is. This section explains it in plain words, with no math and no code.
Your AI foundation
Think of it like learning to drive. You don't need to build an engine. But you should know what the pedals do and why the car behaves the way it does.
In this section you will learn:
- What makes AI different from regular software
- What "generative" AI is and what it can create
- What a large language model (LLM) is
- How an LLM writes its answers, one small piece at a time
What you'll learn
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence in plain words
Generative AI
AI that creates text, images, and code
Large language models
The engines behind ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini
How LLMs write
Predicting the next word, one step at a time
How to use this section
Each page builds on the one before it, so I recommend going in order. Every page follows the same format:
- What is it? — A simple explanation with an everyday analogy
- See it in action — Example prompts you can copy and try
- Try it yourself — Short exercises to check your understanding
- Common mistakes — Things to watch out for
Keep ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini open in another tab while you read. Paste the example prompts and see what happens. Trying things is the fastest way to learn.
Practice
Try these exercises to lock in what you just learned.
Quiz
Not startedWhy does this course teach how AI works before you build any apps?
What's next?
Let's start at the very beginning and answer a simple question: what is AI?