AI literacy is no longer just for developers. This is a fundamental skill for navigating the modern world.
We have just posted a course on the freeCodeCamp YouTube channel that will help one learn how these AI systems actually work. The course was developed by Henry Ly and the learnanywhere.org team.
Rather than viewing AI as a “man vs. machine” battle, the course frames it as a product of human choice. You will discover two key characteristics that define artificial intelligence:
While a calculator is not AI because it only does what you tell it, a search engine is AI because it autonomously suggests words and adapts based on past searches.
The course is built around a practical project: designing your own AI image classifier using an app called NearPocket. Whether you want to distinguish between types of fruit, school supplies, or sign language, you can create and train a model right on your device.
The final lessons deal with the “why” behind AI errors. You’ll learn how human bias leads to algorithmic bias, which can lead to serious real-world consequences such as incorrect medical results or even wrongful arrests.
The course also highlights the environmental impact of AI, noting that the giant data centers required for complex mathematical calculations can use as much electricity as small cities and billions of gallons of water just to keep cool. Ultimately, the lessons remind us that because AI is a tool, humans are responsible for the results.
Check out the full course freeCodeCamp.org YouTube Channel (1 hour clock).