AI Made Simple: Tools, Rules, and Everyday Life
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere — from chatbots that help plan your trips to algorithms shaping news, research, and even public policy. Encore Learning’s upcoming AI courses introduce participants to this rapidly evolving technology in a hands-on and accessible way, showing not only how AI tools work, but also how society governs their use. Designed for adults age 50 and older, these classes make AI understandable, relevant, and usable — whether for daily life or civic engagement.
In Generative Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Tools, Techniques and Critical Thinking, with returning instructor Barbara Fillip, students learn to experiment with popular AI programs such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. The course requires no technical background — just curiosity and a willingness to try new approaches. Participants explore practical applications for AI in writing, creative pursuits, travel planning, research, and organizing information. They also learn to recognize the limits of AI, critically evaluate responses, and use prompting techniques to get the most reliable results. Along the way, students consider the broader opportunities and challenges AI presents, including ethical and responsible use.
Regulating Artificial Intelligence: Balancing Innovation and Responsibility with Kimberly Ma turns the focus outward, exploring how governments and international bodies are navigating AI’s societal impact. Students examine questions of accountability, fairness, transparency, and safety, learning about global approaches to AI regulation, including the European Union’s AI Act and contrasting U.S. policies. The course explores real-world issues such as algorithmic bias, data privacy, and AI’s potential to amplify societal polarization, while also considering how regulation can foster innovation responsibly.
Together, these courses offer a introduction to AI, blending practical skills with an understanding of its broader implications. Students gain the confidence to use AI tools in everyday life while reflecting on how technology interacts with law, policy, and ethics — empowering them to engage thoughtfully with a world increasingly shaped by AI.