AI in Plain English
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Finally understand AI — no tech background needed

Six focused units take you from "I don't even know where to start" to confidently using, explaining, and evaluating AI tools in your everyday life — all in plain, jargon-free English.

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AI in Plain English

My only rule is that if I can't explain it in plain English, it doesn't go in the lesson.Shari Johnson

What you'll learn

What you'll be able to do

  • Define the most important AI terms — from algorithms and machine learning to LLMs and neural networks — in your own words, without memorising a textbook
  • Explain confidently how tools like ChatGPT, image generators, and AI assistants actually work under the hood
  • Spot AI in the products and services you already use every day and understand what it is doing
  • Write clear, effective prompts that get useful results from AI tools — and understand why good prompting matters
  • Evaluate AI headlines and hype critically, separating genuine breakthroughs from marketing noise
  • Apply AI tools to at least one real task in your own work or life — saving time and boosting your confidence as a beginner

How it works

A school that adapts to you

This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.

We learn your level

A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.

Lessons adapt as you go

Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.

Your AI coach keeps you moving

Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.

The curriculum

What's inside your school

6 modules · 26 lessons

1

What Is AI, Really?

Strips away the hype and builds a clear, jargon-free mental model of what artificial intelligence actually is and where it comes from.

  • 1.1AI in One SentenceIncluded
  • 1.2A (Very) Brief History of AIIncluded
  • 1.3Algorithms: The Recipes Behind Every AppIncluded
  • 1.4Data: The Fuel That Powers AIIncluded
  • 1.5Spot the AI Around You Right NowIncluded
2

How AI Learns — Machine Learning & Neural Networks Demystified

Unpacks the core mechanisms — machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning — in plain, visual language with zero maths.

  • 2.1Machine Learning vs. Traditional ProgrammingIncluded
  • 2.2Teaching a Machine: Training, Testing & ImprovingIncluded
  • 2.3Neural Networks: Borrowing Ideas from the BrainIncluded
  • 2.4Deep Learning: Why AI Got So Good So FastIncluded
3

Meet the AI You Talk To — LLMs, ChatGPT & Generative AI

Explains exactly how large language models and generative AI tools work, covering the key terms students encounter most in headlines.

  • 3.1What Is a Large Language Model (LLM)?Included
  • 3.2Tokens, Parameters & Weights — Without the HeadacheIncluded
  • 3.3Generative AI: Text, Images, Audio & MoreIncluded
  • 3.4How ChatGPT Actually WorksIncluded
  • 3.5Hallucinations, Bias & Why AI Gets Things WrongIncluded
4

Talk to AI Like a Pro — The Art of Prompting

Teaches students to write clear, effective prompts that consistently get useful, accurate results from any AI tool.

  • 4.1What Is a Prompt and Why Does It Matter?Included
  • 4.2The Anatomy of a Great PromptIncluded
  • 4.3Prompting Pitfalls: What Trips Beginners UpIncluded
  • 4.4Prompt Chaining: Having a Real Conversation with AIIncluded
5

AI at Work — Real Tasks, Real Results

Guides students to apply AI tools to genuine tasks in their own work or daily life, building hands-on confidence.

  • 5.1Choosing the Right AI Tool for the JobIncluded
  • 5.2AI for Writing, Summarising & ResearchIncluded
  • 5.3AI for Images, Ideas & Creative ProjectsIncluded
  • 5.4Your First Real AI ProjectIncluded
6

Reading the AI Landscape — Hype, Ethics & What Comes Next

Builds the critical-thinking skills to evaluate AI news, understand ethical stakes, and stay confidently informed as AI keeps evolving.

  • 6.1Separating Breakthroughs from BuzzwordsIncluded
  • 6.2AI Ethics 101: Fairness, Privacy & TransparencyIncluded
  • 6.3Narrow AI vs. General AI — Where Are We Really?Included
  • 6.4Staying Ahead: How to Keep Learning as AI EvolvesIncluded

Who it's for

Is this you?

Career changers

You want AI on your résumé and in your toolkit — this gives you the confident, working foundation to get there.

Small business owners

You're curious whether AI can save you time and money, and you need practical answers, not tech-speak.

Everyday professionals

AI keeps coming up in meetings and you want to contribute confidently, not just nod along.

Curious retirees

You love learning and want to genuinely understand the technology everyone around you is talking about.

Creative freelancers

You've heard AI can help with writing, images, and ideas — and you want to explore it without feeling overwhelmed.

Lifelong learners

You read the headlines, sense AI is a big deal, and finally want a clear, honest explanation from the ground up.

Questions

Frequently asked

Your teacher

A note from your teacher

Shari Johnson

Shari Johnson

If you've ever closed a tab about AI because it made you feel more confused than when you opened it — I want you to know that's not on you. That's on the person who wrote it.

Here's the truth: AI is not as complicated as the internet makes it look. The concepts behind it — how machines learn, why ChatGPT says the things it says, what an algorithm actually is — are genuinely explainable in plain language. They just rarely are. Most people writing about AI are deeply immersed in it, and they've forgotten what it feels like not to know. I haven't forgotten. And I think that makes all the difference.

I built AI in Plain English because I kept watching smart, curious people tune out of one of the most important conversations of our time — not because they weren't capable, but because no one had taken the time to explain it in a way that respected both their intelligence and their starting point. This school is my attempt to fix that. Every lesson is built around a simple question: "How would I explain this to a thoughtful friend who has never heard of it before?" That's the bar. Nothing ships until it clears it.

What you'll find here isn't a firehose of information or a glossary to memorise. It's a real conversation — one that starts with what AI actually is, walks you through how it learns, demystifies the tools you keep hearing about, and ends with you having used AI for something real in your own life. Along the way, we'll cover the stuff that really matters: how to write prompts that work, how to tell genuine breakthroughs from marketing hype, and how to think clearly about the ethics and limits of these tools. No fluff, no fear-mongering, no cheerleading — just honest, clear, useful knowledge.

If you're ready to stop feeling left behind and start feeling genuinely informed, I'd love to be the person who walks you through it. Pull up a chair. Let's start from the beginning — together.

Shari Johnson

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  • 6 modules, 26 lessons
  • AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
  • Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
  • Your own AI learning coach
  • Learn on any device, at your pace
  • Full access for as long as you're subscribed