AI at Work: The Essentials
A free 20 minute course for anyone who uses AI at work, or is about to. Learn what AI is, what it gets wrong, which information must never go into it and how to check an answer before you rely on it.
For: Anyone new to AI, Staff already using ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude or Gemini, Managers setting a baseline for a team, Small businesses with no AI policy yet
By the end, you will be able to
- Explain in plain words what generative AI is and how it produces an answer
- Spot the common ways AI gets things wrong, including invented facts and sources
- Use the traffic light rule to decide what information can go into an AI tool
- Know why approved tools matter and what to do if your organisation has no rules yet
- Check an AI answer quickly before you send it, share it or act on it
- Know where AI saves real time in everyday work, and where it does not
AI changes every week. Don't worry, so do we.
A course recorded last year can teach menus that no longer exist. We built this course to keep up with the tools.
- Checked every week against the latest AI tool updates, the law and guidance
- Updated when something changes, usually the same week
- Every update included in your 12 months of access
Up to date: checked 10 November 2026
See how the lessons work
Start screenReal screens from AI at Work: The Essentials
Six short lessons and a quiz
- 01
What AI is, and is not
2 min - 02
The traffic light rule
3 min - 03
Approved tools and shadow AI
2 min - 04
Your first good prompt
3 min - 05
Trust, but verify
3 min - 06
Your rules and where to ask
2 min Knowledge check8 questions, 80% to pass, then download your certificate
4 minKey takeawaysA short recap of the course
1 min
Each lesson follows a colleague at a fictional UK company through a real work situation, then asks you to try the idea yourself.
Made for people at work
For everyone at work, whatever their role or AI tool. It suits people who have never used AI, people who use it every day without any training, and managers who want the whole team to start from the same simple rules.
- Anyone new to AI
- Staff already using ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude or Gemini
- Managers setting a baseline for a team
- Small businesses with no AI policy yet
Your certificate of completion
Pass the 8 question quiz at 80% and download a PDF certificate with your name, the course, the date and a verification code anyone can check.
Get this and 23 more in All Access
24 courses for £29 inc VAT instead of £207, each with its own certificate.
Take it further
20 minStart herePrompting That Works
Structure, context, examples and iteration: get useful answers from any AI tool, first time.
£9£7.50 ex VAT
20 minStart hereAI Safety and Data Protection
Shadow AI, confidential data, prompts as personal data and the approved tools rule, under UK GDPR.
£9£7.50 ex VAT
20 minStart hereWriting with AI
Emails, reports, proposals and summaries with AI, in your voice and checked before they leave.
£9£7.50 ex VAT
20 minYour AI toolChatGPT for Work
Projects, files, search, voice and the habits that make ChatGPT useful every day.
£9£7.50 ex VAT
Questions, answered
We answer every message ourselves, usually the same working day.
Is the course really free?
Yes. AI at Work: The Essentials costs nothing. You create a free learning account, which is how we track your progress and issue your certificate, and there is no card needed.
Do I need to have used AI before?
No. The course starts from the beginning and explains every idea in plain English. If you already use AI every day, it gives you the safety rules and checking habits that most people have never been taught.
Which AI tools does it cover?
It is tool neutral, so everything applies to ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, Gemini and the AI built into other software. If your organisation uses one tool, take the tool module for it next.
What should I take after this course?
Most people go on to Prompting That Works, Writing with AI and AI Safety and Data Protection. All Access gives you every course in the library for one price.
Can I use it to train my whole team?
Yes. Everyone can take it free with their own account. If you want to see everyone's progress in one place, or want the paid modules for a team, see the team packs or get in touch.
Is this course up to date?
Always. AI changes every week, and so do we. We check this course every week. When an AI tool, the law or the guidance changes, the course changes, and the update reaches you straight away. The date of the last check is shown on this page, and every update is included in your 12 months of access.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Pass the 8 question quiz at 80% and you can download a certificate of completion as a PDF, with your name, the course title, the date and a verification code that anyone can check.
AI at Work: The Essentials, free
No card and no payment page. Set your password and start straight away. You get a certificate when you pass the quiz.
Buying for five or more people? Ask about team prices.