AI and machine learning · Free online course

Generative AI and LLM Foundations

What a language model is actually doing when it answers, why it is confidently wrong sometimes, how to call one from Python on a free route, how to run one privately on your own laptop, and how to test one before you trust it with a datasheet. The concept course under the whole AI track.

  • 13 modules
  • 10h 31m of video
  • Beginner
  • English
  • ₹0, free
  • Lab practice in your browser
Generative AI and LLM Foundations course cover

₹0Free for good

Worth ₹5,999 by length and depth against classroom training. It has always been free; that is not a former price.

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Overview

About Generative AI and LLM Foundations

Understand what a language model does when it answers, why it can be wrong, and how to call, run and test one yourself.

Generative AI and LLM Foundations is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineers, developers and students applying AI to real work. It has 13 modules and 10h 31m of video lessons by Microsoft Developer, 3Blue1Brown, Andrej Karpathy and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.

Who it is for: Engineers, developers and students applying AI to real work

This course includes

  • 10h 31m of video lessons
  • 13 modules with written notes and diagrams
  • One final assessment: 15 questions, pass mark 60%
  • Ask-an-engineer support from practising engineers
  • Lifetime access, the course does not expire
  • Optional verifiable certificate when you finish
  1. Step 1 of 3

    Learn the 13 modules

    10h 31m of video lessons, written notes and a practice task per module, at your own pace.

  2. Step 2 of 3

    Pass the final assessment

    15 questions drawn from every module, pass mark 60%, 3 attempts.

  3. Step 3 of 3

    Take the certificate, if you want it

    Optional, paid once, only if you choose it. The course stays free either way.

    See the certificate and its price

A look inside

Generative AI and LLM Foundations: Syllabus at a glance
Syllabus at a glance
Generative AI and LLM Foundations: What you will be able to do
What you will be able to do
Generative AI and LLM Foundations: Tools and credits
Tools and credits

From the lessons

  • Generative AI Explained In 5 Minutes | What Is GenAI? | Introduction To Generative AI | Simplilearn

    What generative AI is, and what it is not

    by Simplilearn

  • [1hr Talk] Intro to Large Language Models

    How the models are built: Karpathy's introduction

    by Andrej Karpathy

  • Using Generative AI Responsibly [Pt 3] | Generative AI for Beginners

    Using it responsibly in a plant

    by Microsoft Developer

  • Building Text Generation Applications [Pt 6] | Generative AI for Beginners

    Calling a model from Python

    by Microsoft Developer

  • What is Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)?

    Embeddings, vector search and the idea of RAG

    by IBM Technology

  • Fine-Tuning LLMs [Pt 18] | Generative AI for Beginners

    Prompting, RAG or fine-tuning; images and low-code

    by Microsoft Developer

Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits and are shown from YouTube.

What you learn

What you will be able to do

By the end you will be able to:

  • Explain tokens, context windows and hallucination in plain words
  • Choose between hosted and local models for a job
  • Write a structured prompt with a NOT FOUND rule
  • Call free models through OpenRouter and run open models with Ollama
  • Evaluate an assistant with a proper test set

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the lessons

    Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.

  2. Read the notes

    Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.

  3. Practise in the 3D labOptional

    Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.

  4. Check yourself

    Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.

  5. Final assessment

    Pass the final once you have been through the modules.

  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptional

    Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.

Syllabus

Course content, module by module

In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.

Modules
13
Video lessons
34
Of video
10h 31m
Final questions
15
  1. 01

    What generative AI is, and what it is not

    3 lessons · 27m
  2. 02

    How an LLM works: tokens in, probabilities out

    4 lessons · 24m
  3. 03

    How the models are built: Karpathy's introduction, with lab practice:

    1 lesson · 1h 0m
  4. 04

    Choosing a model: hosted, local, open and free

    2 lessons · 33m
  5. 05

    Using it responsibly in a plant, with lab practice:

    3 lessons · 28m
  6. 06

    Prompting fundamentals, with lab practice:

    2 lessons · 41m
  7. 07

    Calling a model from Python, with lab practice:

    2 lessons · 29m
  8. 08

    Running a model on your own machine with Ollama

    5 lessons · 42m

  9. Final assessment · 15 questions, pass mark 60%

3D lab

Practise in the 3D lab

Practise what you learn about language models: write a prompt that returns exact JSON, make an assistant cite its sources or refuse, and keep an agent safe.

Train and testWatch

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Project

The course project

Optional practice that ends in the kind of job the course prepares you for, with the documents that go with it.

About 5 hours

Build a datasheet assistant on a free model, and measure how often it is wrong

Three public datasheets, one free language model, fifteen test questions with answers you have verified yourself. The deliverable is not the chatbot; it is the evaluation table that says how accurate it is and how often it invents an answer.

This project at a glance
  1. 7documents in the pack
  2. 6steps to follow
  3. Laboptional: in the 3D lab
  4. 6things to hand in
  5. 5 hof work, at your pace

Do it in the lab: 4 steps.

Sample document pack, 7 documents, filled in for the scenario

  • PlanEvaluation Plan: Datasheet Assistant Pilot
  • RegisterSource Document Register
  • RegisterTest Set: Fifteen Questions with Verified Answers
  • SDSAssistant Design: Prompt, Model and Call
  • Test reportEvaluation Results: Run 1 and Run 2
  • Risk registerRisk Register: Datasheet Assistant on the Intranet
  • ReportRecommendation to the Managing Director

Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.

About 3 hours

Hosted versus local: the same ten engineering prompts through two models

Run ten realistic engineering prompts through a free hosted model on OpenRouter and a small local model in Ollama (or a second free hosted model if your laptop cannot run Ollama). Score them side by side and decide which jobs belong where.

This project at a glance
  1. 7documents in the pack
  2. 5steps to follow
  3. Laboptional: in the 3D lab
  4. 4things to hand in
  5. 3 hof work, at your pace

Do it in the lab: 4 steps.

Sample document pack, 7 documents, filled in for the scenario

  • PlanComparison Plan: Hosted versus Local Model for Daily Engineering Work
  • RegisterPrompt Set and Marking Keys
  • ProcedureSet-up and Run Procedure for Both Routes
  • Test reportComparison Results: Ten Prompts, Two Routes
  • RegisterFailure Log with Corrected Answers
  • ReportRecommendation: Which Work Goes Local, Which Stays Hosted
  • RegisterData Classification for Model Use

Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.

Tools

Software, hardware and lessons

Software

Google Colab, a free OpenRouter key, optionally Ollama on your own laptop. No paid account anywhere.

Hardware

None required. A laptop with 8 GB RAM runs the optional local models.

Who it is for

Beginner. No coding needed for eight of the twelve modules; basic Python (the Python for AI course, or equivalent) for the API and project modules.

Video lessons by

  • Microsoft Developer
  • 3Blue1Brown
  • Andrej Karpathy
  • IBM Technology
  • codebasics
  • Tech With Tim
  • Amit Thinks
  • KodeKloud
  • Simplilearn
  • edureka!

Independent creators, credited in full under Credits.

Software you need

What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.

Required

  1. 01

    Google Colab

    Google, in the browser

    Free, GPU time not guaranteed
    Runs on
    Any modern web browser
    Account
    A free Google account

    Colab is free to use. In the free version GPUs and TPUs are heavily restricted and not guaranteed, sessions can run for at most 12 hours, and idle sessions are stopped. Paid plans give more reliable access.

    Open Google Colabcolab.research.google.com
  2. 02

    OpenRouter

    OpenRouter, Inc., in the browser

    Free models with rate limits
    Runs on
    Any modern web browser (API works from any language)
    Account
    A free OpenRouter account

    Models with IDs ending in :free cost nothing but are limited to 20 requests per minute and 50 requests per day. Buying at least 10 credits raises the daily free-model limit to 1,000 requests.

    Open OpenRouteropenrouter.ai

Optional

Useful, not needed to finish the course.

  1. 03

    Ollama

    Ollama Inc.

    Free
    Runs on
    macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Windows 10 or later, Linux
    Account
    None needed

    Ollama is free and open source (MIT licence). Each model you download has its own licence; check it before commercial use.

    Official download pageollama.com

Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.

What you walk away with

Your certificate for Generative AI and LLM Foundations

Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.

Sample Wartens Certificate of Completion for Generative AI and LLM Foundations, issued through the EDWartens training portal
Sample. The issued certificate carries your name, your final score, a unique certificate ID and its own QR code.

  • Verifiable by anyone

  • Adds to LinkedIn in one click

  • QR code on the certificate

  • Names what you can do

  • A permanent link

  • Earned, not attended

Learning is free. The certificate is optional.

Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.

Issued by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales, company no. 15262249) through the EDWartens training portal, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold in India by Wartens Automation Private Limited. It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.

Practise what you learn in the free 3D lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

See the 3D lab
  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Why learn with EDWartens

What you get with this course.

  • Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
  • Practice in a free 3D lab in your browser, with nothing to install.
  • Video lessons with written notes and a project.
  • An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need to code?

Not for most of it. Eight modules are concepts you can follow with no code at all. The API, Ollama and project modules use short Python snippets that are given to you; if you have never coded, do the Python for AI course alongside.

Do I need a paid ChatGPT or OpenAI account?

No. The course uses OpenRouter's free models, which need only a free key and no card. It uses Ollama for local models, which is free and runs on your own machine.

What is the project in the Generative AI and LLM Foundations course?

You build the simplest assistant that answers questions from three public datasheets on a free model. Then you test it with fifteen questions you have verified yourself, including five it cannot know. You report its accuracy and how often it invents an answer. A second, shorter project compares a hosted model with a local one.

Is the Generative AI and LLM Foundations course really free?

Yes. Every module, practice task, project and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.

What certificate does the Generative AI and LLM Foundations course give?

An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you have finished the modules and passed the final assessment (the project is optional practice), with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.

Who made the video lessons in the Generative AI and LLM Foundations course?

The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks, the projects and the assessments.

How long does the Generative AI and LLM Foundations course take?

Plan on about 16 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the thirteen modules at your own speed.

Do I have to use the lab?

No. The lab is optional practice. You can skip it whenever you like, and it never blocks your progress, the final assessment or your certificate.

Is the lab free?

Yes. Every lab level for this course opens in your browser, free, with nothing to install.

Is the Generative AI and LLM Foundations course free in India, and what does the certificate cost?

Yes. Learning costs ₹0 in India: every module, the written notes, the practice tasks and the final assessment, with no card and no trial period. The only paid item is the optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 including GST for this beginner course, paid in rupees through Razorpay, and only if you want it after passing the final assessment.

All course facts
Price
₹0, free for good. No trial, no card. Comparable classroom training of this length costs about ₹5,999.
Who it is for
Engineers, developers and students applying AI to real work
Format
13 self-paced modules, 10h 31m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
Level
Beginner. Beginner. No coding needed for eight of the twelve modules; basic Python (the Python for AI course, or equivalent) for the API and project modules.
Brand
Vendor-neutral
Software
Google Colab, a free OpenRouter key, optionally Ollama on your own laptop. No paid account anywhere.
Hardware
None required. A laptop with 8 GB RAM runs the optional local models.
Certificate
Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 inclusive of GST for learners in India, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
Video lessons by
Microsoft Developer, 3Blue1Brown, Andrej Karpathy, IBM Technology, codebasics, Tech With Tim, Amit Thinks, KodeKloud, Simplilearn, edureka! (independent creators, credited below)
Language
English
Last updated
27 September 2026

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Credits

Who made the video lessons

The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.

If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.