• University of Glasgow
New

Getting Genuine Results from Generative AI: Responsible Use in Practice

Go beyond AI hype and discover how to use generative AI tools responsibly and effectively.

Student Using AI Chatbot While Studying

Getting Genuine Results from Generative AI: Responsible Use in Practice

  • 3 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Accreditation available

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours
  • Languages

    English, Español, Italiano, Français, PortuguêsEnglish, Español
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more
  • Accreditation

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The CPD Certification Service

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Question, prompt, and navigate AI with greater confidence

Generative AI is everywhere.

From ChatGPT and AI assistants to search tools and content creation platforms, these technologies are rapidly changing how people work, learn, and make decisions.

But how do these systems actually work? When should you trust them? And how can you use them responsibly?

On this online course, you’ll move beyond headlines and hype to investigate how generative AI functions, where it succeeds, where it struggles, and how to use it more thoughtfully in everyday contexts.

Rather than focusing on technical complexity, the course helps develop practical AI literacy and stronger digital skills, supporting more informed and responsible AI use.

Unpack what happens behind generative AI tools

Begin by exploring how generative AI, machine learning, and large AI systems actually work.

You’ll examine the ideas behind popular AI tools and platforms such as ChatGPT, building a clearer understanding of how AI generates responses and why outputs can sometimes be convincing - yet misleading.

Examine the strengths and limits of AI systems

AI can increase productivity and support creativity, but it also comes with limitations.

You’ll investigate the strengths, weaknesses, and wider implications of AI applications, considering issues around accuracy, bias, and over-reliance.

This broader perspective helps strengthen AI literacy and support more informed AI adoption.

Develop responsible practices for using AI

You’ll examine responsible AI, effective AI prompting approaches, and best practices across a range of real-world use cases.

By the end of the course, you’ll have developed practical AI skills and a stronger understanding of how to engage with generative AI critically and confidently.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 6 seconds It’s impossible to get away from AI these days. Be it chat bots, art or music, generative AI has worked its way into so many parts of modern life. But in this rapid wave of progress, it’s very easy to lose track of the fundamentals and get lost in the hype. It’s never been more important to actually understand generative AI. That’s why we’ve put together this new course, Getting genuine results from Gen. AI. I’m Andrew Gillen, a data scientist at the University of Glasgow, and I’ll be leading you through the basics of these world changing technologies. Over the course of three weeks, we’ll look at three major themes.

Skip to 0 minutes and 50 seconds First, we’ll cover the basics of how generative AI works, an accessible introduction to these complicated technologies. During Week 2, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of Gen. AI, helping you learn when and where it should be applied. And finally, during Week 3, we’ll teach you some practical skills for getting the most out of AI in the form of some simple to use prompt engineering tricks. OI hope you’ll join us in getting genuine results from Jen AI for some useful information and practical experience in this exciting new field. See you then.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    How Generative AI Actually Works

    • Course Introductions

      Welcome to Getting Genuine Results from GenAI! Let's quickly do some introductions and discuss overarching themes

    • An Introduction to Machine Learning

      We'll start with an overview of this week's content - the basics of how AI systems learn, followed by an exploration of the Genertaive AI landscape in 2026.

    • How are AI Systems Developed?

      AI can often be very mysterious - who really understands how these systems are made? Well, by the end of this block, hopefully you do! We'll cover Machine Learning, Neural Networks and the mechanics behind Generative AI

    • Modern Generative Models

      Now that we know how they work, let's take a look at the models which currently exist - we can't touch on them all, obviously, but we can catch a wide swathe.

    • Week 1 in Summary

      A look back at the information learned around the development and design of AI models, and how to utilise those that exist

  • Week 2

    Strengths and Weaknesses of Using GenAI

    • An Introduction to AI's Pros and Cons

      A short overview of Week 2, where we'll consider what's good, bad, and ethically concerning about Generative AI

    • GenAI Strengths

      We'll discuss the positives of Generative AI, the things it's very good at. We'll cover the knowledge base of AI, the quality of its outputs, and the ease of its use

    • GenAI Weaknesses

      AI models are not perfect, and they do struggle with some things. We'll discuss these during Part 2 of this week, including Limited Creativity, Mistakes and Hallucinations, and Bias

    • Ethical Issues in GenAI

      GenAI is a new kind of tool taking our world by storm. So is it really any surprise that we don't have answers to all the questions? In this section, we'll discuss some of the issues ongoing around AI use

    • Week 2 in Summary

      We've learned a lot about the good, bad, and ugly of AI systems. Let's refresh some key points and find out what's coming next during Week 3

  • Week 3

    Best Practices in Using GenAI

    • An Introduction to Using AI

      AI is easy to use, yes - but there are specific tricks to make using it even quicker and easier! This week, we'll learn some of these tricks, known as Prompt Engineering

    • Prompt Engineering - Writing Better Questions

      In the first part of our Prompt Engineering block, we'll look at how we can ask AI the right questions, to get the right information

    • Prompt Engineering - Getting Better Answers

      In the second half of our Prompt Engineering block, we'll look at how to get the most effective answers possible from AI

    • Week 3 in Summary

      In this block, we summarise the main learning points around prompt engineering, and put your new skills into use

    • Conclusions and Goodbyes

      With one final assessment to test your learning, we'll say goodbye to Getting Genuine Results from GenAI

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe in a broad way the way in which Generative AI models provide answers to user queries
  • Discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of Generative AI as it relates to individual use cases
  • Explore the impacts of GenAI on modern society, and potential future concerns
  • Apply optimised prompting strategies to retrieve information efficiently from available Large Language Models
  • Assess the outputs of Generative AI models in terms of what is likely reliable versus what is not

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone curious about generative AI, from beginners to professionals looking to strengthen AI literacy and digital skills. No specialist knowledge is required.

Who will you learn with?

I am a data scientist, working at the University of Glasgow. My work focuses on designing, implementing and interpreting AI systems to solve various biological problems

Who developed the course?

The University of Glasgow

Founded in 1451, the University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world. It is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK research universities.

  • Established

    1451
  • Location

    Glasgow, Scotland, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 70Source: QS World University Rankings 2020
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Choose the best way to learn for you!

Best Value - learn more, save more!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$54/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Start learning today

Free

Try this course - with limits

  • Limited to 3 weeks

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 2 November 2026 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 2 November 2026 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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