A plain-English start in artificial intelligence. Learn how machine learning and generative AI work, what they are good and bad at, and how to use AI tools safely and well in everyday work.
LevelBeginner
Estimated time12 hours
Syllabus6 modules + capstone
FormatSelf-paced or live cohort
Leads toApprentice rank in Artificial Intelligence
Is this course for you?
Who it’s for
Anyone who uses, or will soon use, AI tools at work
Office, admin, sales and small-business staff
Students who want AI literacy on their resume
Managers who need to talk about AI with confidence
Before you start
No technical background needed
Comfortable using a computer and a web browser
Free access to any AI chat assistant for the practice tasks
What you’ll be able to do
01Explain AI, machine learning, deep learning and generative AI in plain words
02Describe how a large language model produces an answer, and why it can be confidently wrong
03Spot hallucinations, bias and out-of-date answers, and check facts properly
04Decide what you should never paste into an AI tool, using privacy and security basics
05Pick sensible workplace uses for AI and say where a human must stay in charge
Skills for your resume
AI literacy
Generative AI
Machine learning concepts
Fact-checking AI output
Data privacy awareness
Responsible AI use
Once you’ve earned the rank, list these in the Skills section of your resume and LinkedIn profile.
The syllabus
6 modules · 12 hours · 1,020 XP to collect. Every module ends with a practical project.
Module 1
What AI is (and isn’t)
+120 XP
Lessons
A short history from rules to learning systems
AI, machine learning, deep learning and generative AI
Narrow AI versus the science-fiction kind
Where you already meet AI every day
Practical projectMap ten AI features you used this week and label the type of AI behind each.
Module 2
How machines learn
+120 XP
Lessons
Data, features and labels
Training, testing and why we hold data back
Classification, prediction and clustering
Overfitting, explained with everyday examples
Practical projectSort a small set of examples into a training set and a test set, and explain your choices.
Module 3
Inside generative AI
+120 XP
Lessons
Tokens and next-word prediction
What a large language model is trained on
Context windows, memory and why chats forget
Image, audio and video generators
Practical projectRun the same question three ways and explain why the answers differ.
Module 4
Limits and risks
+120 XP
Lessons
Hallucinations and how to catch them
Bias in data and in answers
Knowledge cut-off dates and stale facts
Deepfakes and AI-made scams
Practical projectFact-check five AI answers against trusted sources and score each one.
Module 5
Using AI safely at work
+120 XP
Lessons
What never goes into a public AI tool
Privacy, copyright and confidential data
Reading your workplace AI policy
Keeping a human in the loop
Practical projectWrite a one-page ’safe AI use’ checklist for a small team.
Module 6
AI in the real world
+120 XP
Lessons
AI in health, finance, retail and trades
Automation versus assistance
Choosing a first AI use case
Talking about AI in a job interview
Practical projectPick one task in a real job and write a short plan for using AI on it, with risks and checks.
Capstone project · +300 XP
Show what you can do
Write an AI use-case brief for a real or realistic workplace: the problem, the AI tool type, the data involved, three risks with how you would control them, and how you would check the results. One to two pages.
XP is just for fun. It tracks your progress, but it can never buy or skip a rank.
The Rank Trial
When you’ve finished every module and the capstone, the Apprentice Trial in Artificial Intelligence opens. The Guild runs it, not your instructor, so the rank means the same whoever taught you.
What’s assessed
Core AI and machine learning ideas
How generative AI works and where it fails
Safe, private and responsible use at work
Choosing good use cases
How it works
Format
Online exam, closed notes
Questions
40, multiple choice and short scenarios
Time
60 minutes
Pass mark
70%
Re-sit
After 7 days if you don’t pass
Ranks are earned. They can’t be bought, and no amount of XP can skip a Trial.
Your path in Artificial Intelligence
ApprenticeThis course
JourneymanCourses coming
ExpertCourses coming
MasterCourses coming
The credential you earn
Example
Guild credential
Apprentice · Artificial Intelligence
Awarded to
Your name
Course
AI Fundamentals
Credential ID
GS-XXXX-XXXX
Awarded by
Guild of Skills
Check it at
guildofskills.com/verify
Example only. Each real rank gets its own ID and verify page.
On your resume
Add it under Licences & Certifications: Apprentice, Artificial Intelligence · Guild of Skills, the month you passed, and your credential ID so employers can check it.
On LinkedIn
Open your profile and add a Licence or certification
Name: Apprentice, Artificial Intelligence. Issuing organisation: Guild of Skills
Add the issue date, your credential ID and your verify link
Add to LinkedInUnlocks when you pass the Trial
Your instructor
Guild-approved instructor coming soon
Every instructor is reviewed and approved by the Guild Council before they can teach, and every lesson and video link is checked before students see it.
Vendor-neutral: the ideas apply to every major AI assistant. A Guild credential is not a vendor certification.
Questions about this course
Do I need to be good at maths or coding?
No. This course uses everyday examples and no code. If you want to build with AI later, try Building with LLM APIs.
How much does it cost?
Pricing is announced when the Guild opens. Some courses may be free and some paid. Register now and we’ll tell you first.
When can I start?
Enrolment opens when Guild accounts launch. Register on the Join page and we’ll email you the moment you can start.
Do I get a certificate just for finishing?
Finishing the course unlocks the Rank Trial. Your rank, certificate and verify page are awarded only when you pass the Trial.
Is this the same as an industry certification?
No. A Guild rank is a Guild of Skills credential with its own published standard and public verify page. It isn’t a vendor certification and doesn’t include any vendor exam.
JourneymanCourses coming
ExpertCourses coming
MasterCourses coming
Apprentice rank in Prompt Engineering
