Module 1 – AI Basics: Your First Steps
No previous experience required
This module starts at the very beginning. You do not need to understand programming, machine learning, or mathematics. You only need access to a web browser and an AI assistant.
What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence is software designed to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as understanding language, recognising patterns, creating text or images, and helping solve problems. Modern AI assistants use large language models, often shortened to LLMs, trained on large collections of text and code.
Essential beginner terms
- AI model: the underlying system that produces an answer.
- AI assistant: the website or application through which you use a model.
- Prompt: the instruction or question you give the assistant.
- Response: the content created by the assistant.
- Token: a small unit of text processed by a model.
- Context: the information available to the model during a conversation.
- Hallucination: an answer that sounds confident but is incorrect or invented.
Your first safe workflow
- Choose a simple, non-sensitive task.
- Write a clear prompt explaining the desired result.
- Read the response critically.
- Check important facts using a trustworthy source.
- Revise the prompt and compare the improved result.
What AI can and cannot do
AI can explain concepts, draft text, summarise information, generate examples, suggest code, and support brainstorming. It does not automatically know whether its answer is correct, current, secure, or suitable for your situation. A human remains responsible for checking and approving the result.
Beginner safety rules
- Never paste passwords, API keys, private student data, financial information, or confidential business documents into an AI tool.
- Do not run commands or code you do not understand.
- Verify medical, legal, financial, security, and production decisions with qualified sources.
- Use AI as an assistant, not as an unquestioned authority.
Lab 1 – Your first structured prompt
Ask an AI assistant: “Explain what an API is to a complete beginner. Use one everyday analogy, five short bullet points, and a three-question knowledge check. If you are uncertain about anything, say so.” Review the answer, verify one claim, then improve the prompt once.
Module 1 completion check
You are ready to continue when you can explain the difference between a model, an assistant, a prompt, a response, context, and a hallucination.