Google AI Essentials

Feeling swamped at work? Like there's not enough time in the day to focus on the stuff that matters? We get it. With Google AI Essentials, you’ll learn how to use generative AI tools to help speed up daily tasks, make more informed decisions, and develop new ideas and content.

  • Learn from AI experts at Google
  • Complete at your own pace
  • Zero experience required

Get essential AI skills and boost your productivity

Stay ahead of the curve and learn from AI experts at Google. They’ll do more than just teach you about AI, they will show you how to actually use it to get things done.

21x

Increase in job postings mentioning AI technologies1

1.75

Average hours saved each day reported by employees who use generative AI2

See what’s in store

Course

AI Essentials

In under 10 hours of self-paced study, you’ll learn how to use generative AI tools to help boost productivity and enhance your work. You’ll also learn how to write effective prompts and use AI responsibly by identifying AI’s potential biases and avoiding harm.

Course curriculum:

  • Introduction to AI
  • Maximize Productivity With AI Tools
  • Discover the Art of Prompt Engineering
  • Use AI Responsibly
  • Stay Ahead of the AI Curve
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Preview the course material

AI ESSENTIALS

Learn from AI experts at Google

Discover all the ways you can use AI to assist, empower, and inspire you. Stuck at the beginning of a project? You’ll learn how to use AI tools to generate ideas and content. Planning an event? You’ll use AI tools to help research, organize, and make more informed decisions. Drowning in a flooded inbox? You’ll use AI tools to help speed up those daily work tasks like drafting email responses.


The course includes:

  • Hands-on activities
  • Assessments
  • Readings and resources

Get ahead with AI skills

When you complete the online course, you’ll earn a certificate from Google to share with your network and potential employers. By using AI as a helpful collaboration tool, you can set yourself up for success in today’s dynamic workplace.

Earn a Google AI Essentials Certificate

Earn a Google AI Essentials Certificate and add it to your resume to demonstrate proficiency.

Get hands-on experience

Get hands-on experience and apply your AI and Prompt Engineering skills right away.

Frequently asked questions

What is AI?

You probably already know that AI is short for artificial intelligence. But what does that mean exactly? AI refers to computer programs trained to do complex actions that usually require human brain power — and potentially a lot of time and effort — to accomplish. Simply put, AI can help with challenging tasks. When you learn to use AI tools effectively in your job, it can help you speed through some of those not-so-fun, routine tasks you dread to tackle, which can give you the time and space you need to concentrate on big-picture thinking or reach your goals more quickly.

For example, you can use AI tools to help summarize notes, analyze dense spreadsheets, and create an engaging presentation. You can even use AI tools to help draft a detailed sales report and highlight key insights that you can share with your coworkers and managers. By learning how to augment your work with AI, you can set yourself up for success in today’s dynamic workplace — and you don’t even need programming skills to use it.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is a specific form of AI that focuses on creating new content like text, images, or other media based on examples it’s been trained on. Some AI tools accept text or speech as input, while others also take videos or images.

An exciting feature of generative AI tools is that you can give them instructions with natural language, also known as prompts. So, no coding is needed. During Google AI Essentials, you’ll practice using a conversational AI tool like Gemini, where you’ll experience using natural language to ask Gemini questions or brainstorm with it.

In the workplace, you can use generative AI tools to get creative inspiration, boost your productivity, and make your ideas even bigger. For example, let's say you need to develop a new product. You can prompt the AI tool to help brainstorm ideas. Then, after reviewing the output, you can refine your ideas with additional prompts. You can even use an AI tool to generate a presentation outline to explain the product further and an image generator to create visuals for your presentation.

Why should I leverage AI tools at work?

AI is quickly transforming today’s workplace. It makes sense, then, that developing a strong understanding of how to use the technology could give you a competitive edge in a variety of industries. But beyond helping you cultivate a fruitful career, AI can make your days at work more productive, too.

AI can tackle routine tasks on your to-do list, help you enhance the quality of your work, empower you to make informed decisions, and generate new content for you. Stuck for ideas at the beginning of a project? Use AI as a creative collaboration tool. Drowning in a sea of emails? Use AI tools to help draft responses so you can clear out that inbox quickly. Need to make a quick promo video to market a new product? Just prompt an AI tool with your ideas and assets.

Why enroll in the Google AI Essentials online course?

Google AI Essentials is taught by AI experts at Google who are working to make the technology helpful for everyone. In under 10 hours, they’ll do more than teach you about AI — they’ll show you how to actually use it. You’ll get practical, hands-on experience augmenting your current and future work tasks with AI. Through videos, readings, and interactive exercises, you’ll learn how to use generative AI tools, create effective prompts, use AI responsibly, and select the right AI tools for your work needs.

This self-paced course is accessible to everyone and is designed to fit into busy schedules. You don’t need any technical experience to begin, and the skills you’ll learn can be applied to a variety of roles across industries. After you complete the course, you’ll earn a certificate from Google to share with your network and potential employers.

Who is Google AI Essentials for?

This course is designed for anyone who feels swamped - like there’s never enough time to tackle the work that actually matters to them and their company. It’s created for anyone who wants to supercharge their skillset and improve their productivity. With Google AI Essentials, you can develop the essential AI skills you need to be successful in today’s workplace, zero experience required.

What AI tools will I use in the Google AI Essentials course?

You’ll gain hands-on experience using a variety of AI tools to accomplish different workplace tasks. From conversational AI tools to text-to-image generators, each activity comes with a list of AI tools you can choose from to learn how to get the job done.

How are the AI skills I learn in Google AI Essentials applicable to my work?

Within each module, there are hands-on activities to practice using AI tools across many different real workplace scenarios. These activities provide an opportunity to learn by doing - learners will develop practical skills that can be applied immediately to their work or can be showcased to employers. For example, in module 3 where you’ll discover the art of prompt engineering, you’ll use a conversational AI tool to help develop ideas and generate content to promote a product. You’ll incorporate AI into creative tasks such as brainstorming ideas for a presentation.

What modules are included in the Google AI Essentials curriculum?

Google AI Essentials includes 5 modules:

  • Introduction to AI
  • Maximize Productivity With AI Tools
  • Discover the Art of Prompt Engineering
  • Use AI Responsibly
  • Stay Ahead of the AI Curve

What will I get when I finish Google AI Essentials?

After you complete the course, you’ll earn a certificate from Google to share with your network and potential employers.

Why is a certificate from Google important?

Having a certificate from Google is a concrete way to show current and future employers your competency in this essential skill set, like using generative AI tools, prompt engineering, and using AI responsibly.

How can I be sure Google AI Essentials will teach the latest AI skills?

We understand that technology is moving fast, so we update our content regularly to make sure it stays relevant.

Is Google AI Essentials an online course?

Yes, Google AI Essentials is an online course that you can complete at your own pace.

Is Google AI Essentials free?

Google AI Essentials costs $49 on Coursera. When you purchase the course, you’ll have access to all course materials, including videos, activities, readings, and graded assessments. When you complete the course, you’ll earn a certificate from Google to share with your network and potential employers.

If you are interested in financial assistance for Google AI Essentials, you may be eligible for financial aid via Coursera through the course page. Recipients of financial aid have full access to course content and assignments required to earn a certificate. To apply, go to the course page on Coursera and click the “Financial aid available” link next to the “Enroll” button.

Where can I access Google AI Essentials?

Google AI Essentials is available on Coursera, an online learning platform that offers access to online courses. Google has worked with Coursera to make Google AI Essentials available on their platform.

Who designed Google AI Essentials?

Google AI Essentials was designed and built by subject-matter experts and AI practitioners at Google.

How are Google Career Essentials different from Google Career Certificates?

Google Career Essentials help you build in-demand skills to grow your career. Whether you’re looking to add a skill to your resume, apply a new skill to uplevel your work, or simply learn something new, the course will help you quickly gain valuable competencies.

In contrast, Google Career Certificates prepare you for entry-level jobs in specific career fields like Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Project Management, IT Support and others. They take about three to six months to complete. At the end, you’ll unlock job search support including 1-on-1 career coaching, an exclusive job board with 150+ employers, and more.