Indiana University recently launched a free course on how to talk to AI to better use AI. Since launching in August, GenAI 101 has reached more than 100,000 IU students, staff, faculty across nine IU departments and campuses. It is now available to more than 800,000 alumni worldwide, making it perhaps the largest generative AI course in higher education. The course consists of 31 videos, each about seven minutes long. The goal is to take course enrollees from knowing nothing about generative AI to building their own AI assistant. We hear the first minute of course content featuring its author, Brian Williams.

We also get reaction from students, including Katy Moore, who is wary of AI and felt forced to take the course. Despite IU claiming that GenA1 101 is not mandatory for anyone, Moore provided WFHB with documentation of communications from her leadership in her role as a resident assistant at McNutt Residence Hall claiming that “all IU staff are required to take this course” and specifying a date on which she was to submit proof of completion:

Today’s feature story on IU’s generative AI course was produced by Anna Fernandez in partnership with The Media School at Indiana University.