AI Basics & Plain-Language Guides
For anyone new to AI who wants clear explanations without jargon.
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Elements of AI
Training ProgramFreeGoogle AI Essentials (Coursera)
Training ProgramFreeCS50s Introduction to AI with Python (Harvard)
Training ProgramFreeGoogle: Introduction to Generative AI
Training ProgramFreeUnderstanding AI (Timothy B. Lee)
NewsletterFreeCaltech: AI Tools for Everyone
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KDnuggets Artificial Intelligence Pocket Dictionary
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GuideFreeAI-Ready in 2026-2027: The 10 Skills to Learn, In Order
An explainx.ai guide ranking ten underlying AI skills — from AI literacy and context engineering to agents, verification, and domain judgment — with an order to learn them in, a 90-day plan, and a quarter-by-quarter path for 2027. The authors label which parts are their own judgment and note where the underlying evidence was unavailable.
GuideFreeUnderstanding AI (Timothy B. Lee)
Timothy B. Lee's newsletter explaining how AI works and what it means for the economy and policy, in plain language.
NewsletterFreeThe Hamrick Brief
Economic news and analysis explained in plain English by Mark Hamrick.
NewsletterFreeCS50s Introduction to AI with Python (Harvard)
Harvard course covering graph search algorithms, optimization, machine learning, and natural language processing with hands-on Python projects.
Training ProgramFreeCaltech: AI Tools for Everyone
Free, self-paced hands-on lab using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, NotebookLM, and Perplexity for real work tasks.
Training ProgramFreeElements of AI
Free, no-math introduction to artificial intelligence from the University of Helsinki.
Training ProgramFreeGoogle: Introduction to Generative AI
Short beginner course on what generative AI is, how it differs from other machine learning, and where it fits into everyday work.
Training ProgramFreeGoogle AI Essentials (Coursera)
About 10 hours of self-paced training on prompting, using AI tools at work, and responsible AI, with a free certificate.
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