February: Free distance learning course demystifies the world of AI | News and features

AI Fundamentals is free and designed to suit anyone eager to understand the ideas and methods driving this revolutionary technology – and the risks and challenges presented by its rapid adoption.

With no coding or mathematics involved, AI Fundamentals has been purposely designed to suit learners from any background who wish to improve their understanding of what AI is, how it works, what it can do and how we should think about it.

The course will be led by Professor Genevieve Liveley, an expert in the risks of new technologies such as AI, and Professor Seth Bullock, who has been teaching high school students, undergraduates, Masters and PhD students about AI since 1994.

“Whether you’re excited by AI, concerned or just intrigued, this course will set out the fundamental concepts behind AI so that you can think critically about what it is and what it can do,” says Professor Bullock, Director of the UKRI National Research Hub in AI for Collective Intelligence.

Bristol is ideally suited to run the course, drawing on its acclaimed reputation as AI University of the Year 2024, home to world-leading AI research and teaching, and host of Isambard-AI, the world’s fastest university supercomputer.

Participants will benefit from the diverse perspectives of researchers from a wide range of disciplines including computer science, medicine, philosophy, cyber security, chemistry, the humanities, law, business, engineering, and neuroscience. The use and relevance of AI in business, science, education, the workplace and the home will feature among the subjects covered. Special attention will be given to topics such as AI safety, bias, sustainability and environmental impact.

Professor Bullock adds: “AI is a revolutionary and disruptive technology that is of increasing importance. It also comes with a lot of jargon that can be off putting. This course cuts through all of that – there’s no maths, no coding, no expectation that those enrolling all want to become AI developers or super users, just an invitation for people to develop the confidence to learn what it can do.”

Most of the course material will be non-technical and will include concrete case studies presenting the use of AI across different areas.

AI Fundamentals, which has been supported by a £50k alumni donation and funding from the UKRI National Research Hub in AI for Collective Intelligence, is a self-paced online course. Participants will be able to organise their own study hours, which should amount to around three hours per week for four weeks.

For a general audience, AI Fundamentals will provide a solid foundational understanding of this increasingly influential technology. For prospective undergraduate students or those already studying with the University, it’s an opportunity to learn and enhance core skills for the future.

Participants can enrol on the course via FutureLearn. It’s free and open to all, with all participants able to complete it in their own time and receive a downloadable certificate.

AI Fundamentals is the latest course to be offered as part of the University’s short course portfolio, which aims to help learners develop the skills and confidence they need for their careers, while giving them the opportunity to explore interdisciplinary approaches to global challenges.

The University’s existing courses have been hugely successful, taken by thousands of Bristol students every year as part of their Bristol PLUS employability award.