AI Tools for Everyone: A Hands-On Learning Lab (Online)

Course Code
3870825G

Artificial intelligence is becoming an essential tool in everyday work, research, and creative projects. This online, self-paced, hands-on lab provides a structured, guided introduction to AI tools that are accessible to everyone—whether you're just starting out or looking for ways to integrate AI into your workflow. With practical use cases this interactive course guides you through real-world applications rather than abstract theory, making AI easier to understand and use.

  • Start Date August 4
  • Time N/A
  • Duration 8 Hours
  • Program Type Open-Enrollment/Public
  • Certificate Type Short Course
  • Format Hybrid-Online
  • CEUs 0.8
  • Fees $0

Artificial intelligence is becoming an essential tool in everyday work, research, and creative projects. This online, self-paced, hands-on lab provides a structured, guided introduction to AI tools that are accessible to everyone—whether you're just starting out or looking for ways to integrate AI into your workflow. With practical use cases this interactive course guides you through real-world applications rather than abstract theory, making AI easier to understand and use.

AI Tools for Everyone: A Hands-On Learning Lab (Online)

Program Experience

This on-demand course, based on our popular live lab, introduces you to widely used AI tools for content creation, research, design, and coding—on your own schedule. Designed for busy professionals, it features short, expert-led video modules, interactive exercises, and real-world prompts that let you explore and apply what you learn immediately.  This lab runs on our new Learner Experience Platform, designed to make online learning more engaging, collaborative, and intuitive.

The course follows a structured progression: from everyday AI assistants for writing and organization, to AI-driven research and data analysis, and into creative applications like image generation and design. A dedicated module on AI for Professional Development offers actionable strategies for career growth, presentation design, and learning acceleration. 

You’ll also have opportunities to collaborate with peers through optional mini-projects, and occasionally join live check-ins or "Ask Me Anything" sessions with AI instructors. The experience is interactive, practical, and designed to help you build confidence using AI in your own work.

Benefits

By the end of this workshop, you will:

  • Understand the capabilities of key AI tools and how they apply to different tasks

  • Learn practical ways to integrate AI into content creation, research, design and professional development workflows. 

  • Gain confidence in experimenting with AI for work, study, or personal projects

  • Discover how to apply AI to support your professional development and career growth

Topics

You’ll gain hands-on experience with AI tools for text generation, research, design, such as:

  • ChatGPT

  • NotebookLM

  • Perplexity

  • Manus

  • Gamma

  • OpenAI’s 4o Image Generator (DALL-E integrated)

AI tools are evolving rapidly, and we’re committed to keeping this course up to date with the latest advancements. While we’ve selected tools that offer free access, their features, pricing, and licensing terms may change over time. We’ll do our best to adapt the course accordingly, but we encourage you to explore and stay curious as the AI landscape continues to grow.

 

 

Who Should Attend

This workshop is designed for anyone curious about AI—whether you have experience with technology or not. You may find this course especially helpful if you:

  • Want to explore AI tools but don’t know where to start

  • Feel intimidated by AI jargon and want a structured, approachable introduction

  • Are looking for practical, hands-on experience rather than theoretical explanations

  • Want to see real-world applications of AI that fit into your daily work or interests

  • No prior knowledge of AI or programming is required. The course is designed to help you build confidence in using AI tools, with step-by-step guidance from experienced instructors.

Schedule
Course Duration On Demand (online)
AI Tools for Everyone
Course #: 3870825G
8 Hours (self-paced)

Content Platform Available Starting August 4, 2025
Work to be completed by
September 19, 2025

FAQ

Is this the same course as the live AI Tools for Everyone? 
The on-demand version covers the same core topics as the live course—AI tools for content creation, research, design, and coding—but is designed for flexible, self-paced learning. It includes new interactive features, short video modules, practical exercises, and optional collaborative projects. You’ll also have access to periodic live check-ins and AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions with instructors. It's a different format, but the same commitment to practical, hands-on learning.

Do I need to pay for these tools? 
No, all the AI tools we cover have free versions, so you can start using them right away. Some offer paid upgrades with additional features, but these upgrades are not required for this workshop.

Do I need a technical background for this course? 
Not at all! This course is designed for beginners and professionals alike.  We focus on AI tools for content creation, research, and design, which require no prior experience. We also explore AI tools for career growth—useful for everyone, regardless of technical background.

Will I receive a certificate? 
No, since this is a free offering and there are no assignments or attendance requirements, we are unable to offer a certificate. However, Caltech CTME has numerous AI related offerings that you can find here: https://ctme.caltech.edu/ai-machine-learning-certificate-courses

Why did you choose these tools? 
With thousands of AI tools available, we focused on practical, widely used solutions that enhance productivity, research, design, and automation. This now includes professional development workflows such as job search, résumé creation, and presentations. These are the tools our instructors use regularly and find most effective.
 
Will the tools change if I re-watch the video in the future? 
Absolutely. The only constant in the current AI boom are tool updates. This is why we will periodically update the course. As the tools change, so to will our curriculum.

Will there be homework or assignments? 
No, this course is meant to be a catalyst for you to try it out afterwards without worrying about completing assignments. 

Why is this course relevant?

AI tools are everywhere, and they’re reshaping how we work, create, and innovate. Whether you’re a professional looking to save time, a student curious about AI, or someone who just loves learning new tech, this course gives you a hands-on introduction to tools that can make a big impact on your work and career growth.

How is this course different from others?

Most free courses online are just quick tutorials. This workshop is designed for real learning, with live sessions, hands-on demos, and expert instructors who use these tools every day. It’s not just about learning what the tools do—it’s about seeing how they can fit into your life. If you are interested in learning more about applied AI/ML, check out our public certificate programs like the AI/ML Lab for Engineering & Science, or enterprise learning courses for organizations, like Prototyping Artificial Intelligence, or AI Academy

Instructor

Photo of Jen Garcia

Jen Garcia

Data Science, Artificial Intelligence

Photo of Nicholas Beaudoin

Nicholas Beaudoin

Machine Learning, Generative AI

Picture of Jonathan Cheung, PhD

Jonathan Cheung, PhD

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science

Photo of Kevin Coyle

Kevin Coyle

AI & Machine Learning