AI Foundations — The Fundamentals: Understanding Modern AI

What is AI, really? In this lesson, we look at what’s actually happening under the hood. A clear, practical explanation of modern AI.

AI today is powerful, but it’s not what many headlines suggest. In this module, we separate task-focused systems from the idea of human-like general intelligence, so you can clearly see what exists now and what still belongs to speculation.

To understand how modern AI systems work, it helps to break them down into their core components. In this lesson, we’ll look at the three building blocks behind every AI system: data, algorithms, and models.

Artificial Intelligence isn’t something that suddenly appeared with chatbots and image generators. In reality, most of us have been interacting with AI for years, often without realizing it. In this video, we’ll look at a few everyday technologies that quietly rely on AI to make our lives easier.

How much AI do you already use without realizing it? Complete the following quizzes to test your awareness and sharpen your intuition before we move on.

Before modern AI could recognize patterns or generate text, it followed rigid, human-written rules. In this lesson, you’ll see how rule-based AI worked, why it struggled with real language, and why that early approach could only take us so far.

Before AI could learn from data, it relied on hardcoded rules. In this video, we look at why machine learning changed everything.

In this lesson, we look at the breakthrough that changed AI forever: the Transformer architecture.

Learn what triggered AI’s rapid growth from 2020 to 2026.

Meet the major AI players of 2026, including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, xAI, Meta, and DeepSeek. This video breaks down their strengths and differences, and explains why choosing the right model can save time, effort, and frustration.

Why does AI feel more real than past tech fads? This lecture explores AI’s “iPhone moment,” the rise of ChatGPT, and the move from chat-based tools to agents that can actually get work done.

Test your knowledge of AI's key breakthroughs, the companies shaping the landscape, and the shift from simple chatbots to autonomous agents.

This video explains what large language models (LLMs) are, why they feel so powerful, and what actually happens behind the scenes when they generate text.

There's a variety of AI models, each built for different purposes. In this video, we'll discuss why the biggest and most expensive option isn't always the right one.

Three terms you'll hear constantly in the AI world: tokens, parameters, and context windows. Let's see what each one actually means, why they matter to you, and how they're all connected by one simple idea.

A prediction engine that keeps forgetting what you told it earlier, yet somehow holds a natural conversation. In this video, you'll see exactly how that works, and where the illusion breaks down.

Every AI response sits somewhere between predictable and creative. In this video, you'll see what's actually controlling that dial, and how a single setting can change everything about the output you get.

LLMs started as text-in, text-out machines. In this video, you'll see how they've broken past that, processing images, using external tools, and acting as autonomous agents that chain tasks together on their own.

Take some time to complete these quizzes and see how well you've grasped the LLM skills we've explored in this module!

Where does AI actually deliver real value? In this video, we look at the tasks AI handles especially well.

AI can be impressive, but it also has serious blind spots.
In this clip, we look at where AI falls short. The goal is to understand when AI is useful, and when trusting it too much can backfire.

Hallucinations are one of AI’s biggest hidden risks. In this video, I'll explain why language models sometimes produce answers that sound polished and convincing but are simply wrong.

AI can sound like it understands you, but it’s really matching patterns rather than experiencing or comprehending the world the way humans do. Let's unpack that difference and explain why it matters.

In this hands-on demo, I'll demonstrate how easy it is to make an AI hallucinate, how to catch it, and how better prompting can reduce mistakes.

Take a few minutes to complete these quizzes and see how well you’ve grasped AI’s strengths, limitations, and the practical skills needed to use it wisely.

In this video, you'll see why misinformation about AI is so widespread, and what we're going to do about it in this module.

When a Google engineer claimed his AI chatbot had become sentient, the story went viral. In this video, you'll see why those conversations feel so convincingly human, and what's actually happening under the hood.

This is the myth that keeps people up at night. Let's discuss why the reality is more nuanced than either "don't worry" or "we're all doomed."

AI delivers wrong answers with the same confidence as right ones, and that's exactly what makes it dangerous. In this video, we'll discuss how bad the problem really is, why it happens, and what it means for how you use these tools.

Do you really need a computer science degree to use AI? We'll uncover why this myth persists and why it's never been less true than it is right now.

In this video, we'll discuss what separates real technological shifts from passing fads, and where AI actually falls on that spectrum.

We'll explore the three forces that contribute to the fog of misinformation around AI and discuss ways to see through it.

In this video, I'll show you a simple, repeatable method to fact-check AI output before you trust it.

In this video, you'll get five practical questions to evaluate any AI-related claim you encounter in the wild.

Complete these quizzes to test your ability to separate AI fact from fiction, from sentience and job loss to hallucinations, hype, and the critical thinking tools that cut through the noise.

In this module, we'll explore the growing tension around AI: wider adoption on one side, and rising concerns about misuse, privacy, and security on the other. You’ll learn how to approach AI in a balanced, practical way, without hype or fear.

In this video, we’ll take a practical look at the genuine benefits of AI.

In this video, we’ll take an honest look at the real concerns around AI and why they deserve serious attention.

Let's take a look at where AI can save time and where it still falls short.

In this clip, I share some practical AI habits you may find useful.

In this lesson, I'll give you a framework to help you decide when to use AI and when to rely on yourself.

Take these quizzes to explore the true trade-offs of AI and see how well you understand them.

Welcome to this new module, where we’ll bridge the gap between casually trying AI and using it effectively in everyday work.

This clip shows how AI can make everyday writing tasks like emails, summaries, and posts faster and easier, especially when you give it clear context, tone, and direction.

Let's explore how AI can support research and learning.

AI can also help with planning, brainstorming, and organizing by giving you a strong starting point for tasks like events, trips, budgets, and meeting prep.

In this video, I'll introduce the concept of iterative prompting: how to refine your prompts to get the most valuable output.

In this video, I’ll walk you through the most common prompting mistakes and show you how to avoid them.

Is there a way to integrate AI into your life without turning it into yet another burden? You still have to put in the work, but the framework I’ll show you will make the process much easier.

Here’s a practical challenge for you, one that might help you get a quick win with AI.

Let's begin this practical module.

In this clip, we'll explore how to choose between the free and paid tiers.

In this video, I'll walk you through five prompting principles that will immediately improve your results.

In this clip, I'll show you a four-step AI workflow you can start using right away.

In this video, I share a simple system I use to make sure my AI workflows keep improving over time.

Take these quizzes to test your grasp of key ideas covered in this module, from choosing AI tools to prompting techniques and workflow building.

In this final clip, we'll do a quick recap and offer some suggestions on where to go from here.