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Google AI Essentials

4.7(38,900)·420K enrolled·Updated January 2025
Beginner 9 hours English Professional CertificateFREE

What you'll learn

Use generative AI tools to brainstorm, plan and draft work
Write effective prompts to get useful outputs
Recognize when AI outputs are biased, wrong or risky
Use AI responsibly in line with workplace policies
Combine AI tools with your existing workflow
Speak the language of AI confidently with colleagues

This course includes

9h
On-demand video
30+
Readings
5
Graded quizzes
Yes
Certificate
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Syllabus· 5 courses · 16+ lessons

Expand all →
  • What generative AI can and cannot doVideo · 18 min
  • How AI tools fit into workVideo · 15 min
  • Use AI for everyday tasksReading · 20 min
  • Quiz: AI fundamentalsQuiz · 10 questions
  • AI for writing, brainstorming and researchVideo · 22 min
  • Multimodal prompts (text, images, voice)Video · 18 min
  • Hands-on with GeminiActivity · 30 min
  • Anatomy of a good promptVideo · 20 min
  • Iterating prompts to improve outputActivity · 25 min
  • Few-shot and chain-of-thought promptingReading · 15 min
  • Bias, hallucinations and limitationsVideo · 18 min
  • Privacy and data protectionReading · 18 min
  • Spot misinformation generated by AIQuiz · 12 questions
  • Keeping up with AI developmentsVideo · 12 min
  • Career impact of AIReading · 15 min
  • Final assessmentQuiz · 20 questions

Instructor

G
Google Career Certificates
Google AI curriculum team
12M learners24 courses 4.8 instructor rating

Google Career Certificates is the team behind Google's flagship learning programs on Coursera — including the Data Analytics, UX, IT Support, and Project Management certs. They built Google AI Essentials to give workers in any role a practical foundation in generative AI.

Requirements

  • No prior AI or technical background required
  • A laptop with internet access
  • A free Google account (Gemini access)
  • Roughly 5 hours over a week or two

Who this course is for

  • Knowledge workers in any industry curious about AI
  • Managers introducing AI tools to their team
  • Job seekers wanting an AI line on their resume
  • Educators learning to use and teach with AI

About this provider

C
Coursera
University-backed online learning platform · 142M learners · 7,000+ courses
4.6 trust score·Refund within 14 days
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Frequently asked questions

Google AI Essentials is more practical and tool-focused (Gemini hands-on). Andrew Ng's course is more conceptual and vendor-neutral. Most learners benefit from doing both — together they take about 15 hours.
Both — it is co-branded "Google" and is hosted on Coursera. Recruiters recognize the Google brand and the LinkedIn share badge says Google.
It is not an engineering cert and will not get you an ML role on its own, but it is an excellent signal for non-technical jobs that increasingly require AI literacy (marketing, ops, support).
Officially 9 hours. Most learners finish in 4–6 hours of focused work because the videos are short and the quizzes are quick.
Audit it for free for the same content. If you want the badge without the $49, try DeepLearning.AI's Generative AI for Everyone which also offers audit + paid cert at the same price.
Free
Cert $49/mo
View on Coursera