Free course available for Wisconsinites who want to better understand AI

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - The University of Wisconsin Schools have partnered with UW Credit Union to launch a free AI course. It’s designed to give Wisconsinites a foundational understanding of how AI works.

The AI Skills Access Passport, or ASAP series, is a seven-video course with each video about two minutes long.

Episode one of the course explains how AI generates content. Episode two shares where people will see that content and what deepfakes are. After watching each video, participants get a skills stamp and don’t have to take any tests.

Course designed for all experience levels

Course author Emily Laird, an AI Integration Technologist with UW STOUT, said people who take the course don’t need prior knowledge of AI. Even though it’s a UW Schools and UW Credit Union project, it’s for all ages.

“This matters because AI is now showing up everywhere, in work, in school, and in everyday life. But for many people, the barrier is simple. They do not know where to start. ASAP is meant to remove that barrier,” Laird said.

Laird said courses are easy to understand and don’t have confusing jargon. The course goes over what information people should and shouldn’t give to AI.

One objective of the course is for people to understand how they can use AI in their personal or work lives safely. It goes over mistakes AI can make, called hallucinations, and its limitations.

Serving Wisconsin beyond university students

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said the new series will build AI literacy for anyone who wants to take the free course.

“Even if you choose not to use AI, and a lot of people may not want to use AI, AI is still impacting them. And understanding how it works and what you need to be careful of,” Rothman said.

“We are here to serve the state of Wisconsin. And yes, a lot of that relates to our 13 universities and providing degrees for students, but we serve well beyond that,” Rothman said.

Laird said making the course was an incredible experience. “It’s great to see people having a hands-on, easy-to-use tool to build that confidence around this emerging technology,” Laird said.

Laird said the series is for all ages.

“Folks across the board can use it in a way that encourages and upskills their talents, their expertise, their subject matter expertise, because we want to ensure that everyone uses AI to augment, not replace, what they’re capable of doing,” Laird said.

UW students will be encouraged but not required to take the course.

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