AI Basics for Everyday Business Users: Getting Started with AI Tools & Techniques

Course Duration

2 Days

Audience

Employees of federal, state and local governments; and businesses working with the government.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites required.

Course Description

This hands-on, instructor-led course is designed for business professionals who are new to AI and want to use it effectively in their day-to-day work. No technical background is required. Students learn what AI is, how to use tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, how to write clear and effective prompts, and how to apply AI to real business tasks such as drafting communications, summarizing documents, analyzing data, and boosting personal productivity. The course also covers responsible AI use including privacy, ethics, and data awareness.

Learning Objectives

• What AI is, explained in clear, non-technical terms, including common types of AI and how they are used in business today
• How to use widely available AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to support everyday tasks like writing, research, and idea generation
• How to write clear, effective prompts to get more accurate, useful results from AI tools
• Practical ways to use AI for daily work activities, including summarizing documents, drafting emails, planning projects, and organizing information
• Techniques for improving personal productivity by using AI to streamline workflows and reduce repetitive work
• How AI can support creative tasks such as building presentations, creating content, and developing visuals
• How AI tools can assist with basic data analysis, pattern recognition, reporting, and decision support
• Best practices for responsible AI use, including data awareness, privacy considerations, and ethical use in a business environment

Course Outline

• Explore AI in Today's Business What is AI and how it works
• Common myths and misunderstandings about AI
• Types of AI and key traits
• How AI learns from data
• Real-world AI uses across industries
• Challenges businesses face using AI
• Lab: Getting Started with ChatGPT
• Getting Started with ChatGPT Background of ChatGPT and OpenAI
• How GPT architecture generates text
• Evolution from GPT-3.5 to GPT-4o
• Writing effective prompts for ChatGPT
• Real business uses of ChatGPT
• Privacy and ethical AI usage
• Understanding model settings: temp, Top-K, Top-P
• Intro to DALL·E for image generation
• Tips for better ChatGPT results
• Lab: Working with ChatGPT
• Lab: Explore language models and parameters
• Role-Based Prompting for Business Use Cases What is prompt engineering
• How prompts affect AI responses
• Language tone and structure matter
• Building effective, targeted prompts
• Assigning roles to guide AI replies
• Use open-ended questions strategically
• Lab: Role-Based Prompting for Business Use Cases
• Lab: Processing Survey Responses using AI
• Work Smarter, Not Harder: Boost Your Productivity with AI Use AI to streamline work
• Automate tasks and processes with AI
• AI tools to support better decisions
• Improve personal productivity with AI apps