About this course
Artificial intelligence is already changing how people research, write, analyse information, communicate, create content and solve problems at work. The important question is no longer simply whether people will use AI, but how they can use it effectively, safely and responsibly.
This practical WorkplaceHero course goes well beyond a basic introduction. It explains what modern generative AI is doing, why a fluent answer can still be wrong, how to write useful prompts, how to test and improve an output, and when AI is the wrong tool for the task.
The course is built around four actions - understand, use, check and protect. Learners practise each one through realistic workplace decisions, prompt-building exercises, output checks and scenarios involving personal data, confidentiality, bias, intellectual property, deepfakes and professional judgement.
What learners cover
- Explain AI, generative AI and large language models in accessible terms
- Recognise useful workplace applications and tasks where AI needs much greater caution
- Build effective prompts using Task, Context, Requirements, Output and Check
- Improve results through review, challenge, refinement and verification
- Recognise hallucinations, fabricated citations and misleading confidence
- Protect personal data, confidential information and organisational interests
- Recognise bias, automation bias and the limits of automated recommendations
- Apply practical copyright and intellectual-property precautions
- Respond safely to AI-enabled phishing, impersonation and deepfakes
- Use workplace AI policies and escalation routes responsibly
More than a certificate
Have a look at what learners actually get before you enrol - no account needed.
Certificate of completion
Issued as soon as the final assessment is passed, with a verification link anyone can check. The sample below is an example only and will not verify.
- 1 hr 30 mins
- 1.5 CPD hours
- 80% pass mark
- 20 assessment questions
- Certificate on completion
Assign it to your learners
Buying for a group? Choose how many licences you need, add your learners' names and email addresses, and track who has been set up from your account.
Assign to your teamCourse content
The course is delivered in short, bite-size sections that learners can stop and restart at any point.
- Section 1
1. Understanding artificial intelligence
AI as an umbrella term, generative systems, language models and why generated language is not the same as a verified answer.
- Section 2
2. What AI can and cannot do
Useful co-pilot tasks, hallucinations and a risk-based approach in which the consequences of error determine the checking needed.
- Section 3
3. Prompting AI effectively
A practical Task, Context, Requirements, Output and Check framework, followed by iterative prompting and a prompt repair exercise.
- Section 4
4. Checking AI outputs
Accuracy, currency, evidence, completeness, bias, audience and accountability - including how to detect invented sources.
- Section 5
5. Personal data and confidentiality
Stop Before You Upload: data minimisation, authorisation, approved tools, security, transparency and alternatives to real information.
- Section 6
6. Bias, fairness and human oversight
How bias enters AI-supported work, automation bias, fair criteria and meaningful human involvement where decisions affect people.
- Section 7
7. Copyright, intellectual property and ownership
Input and output risks, provider terms, originality, licensing and careful commercial use without sweeping ownership claims.
- Section 8
8. Cybersecurity, deepfakes and fraud
Convincing phishing, fake invoices, cloned voices and synthetic media, with independent verification and familiar security controls.
- Section 9
9. Responsible AI use at work
The WorkplaceHero checklist for decisions before using AI, while prompting it and before relying on its output.
- Section 10
10. AI in real workplace situations
Seven substantial scenarios spanning email, learner information, recruitment, research, creative work, safeguarding and performance management.
- Section 11
11. Creating good AI habits
Ten practical rules, organisational AI policy, a complete prompt challenge and a personal action plan.
- Section 12
12. End of course assessment
Twenty applied questions drawn at random from a bank of at least forty, with an 80% pass mark and explanatory feedback.
Who it is for
Employees, managers and professionals across sectors, including people who already use tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini or Claude; people considering AI; managers of AI users; and anyone who encounters or makes decisions from AI-generated material. No technical knowledge is required and the principles are not tied to one product.
Entry requirements: None. The course uses plain English and assumes no technical knowledge. All core learning remains available in writing, with transcripts for media and keyboard alternatives for interactive exercises.
How it is delivered
Fully online and self-paced
Learners work through the course at their own pace and can pause and resume where they left off.
Any device
Works on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile, with audio, video and written transcripts throughout.
Interactive throughout
Scenarios, exercises and images keep learners engaged rather than clicking through slides.
Knowledge checks
Short checks at the end of each section so learners can see what has landed before moving on.
Average completion time is around 1.5 hours, though learners can take as long as they need and return as often as they like.
How it is assessed
Practical activities and quick checks help you apply each module as you go. The course finishes with 20 applied questions drawn at random from a bank of at least 40, with an 80% pass mark. You can retake it, and explanatory feedback helps you revisit anything that has not yet landed.
Certification
A WorkplaceHero certificate of completion is issued as soon as you pass the assessment. 1.5 CPD hours are added automatically to your WorkplaceHero CPD record. The certificate records completed learning but does not confer specialist technical, legal, data-protection or AI-governance competence.
Refresher guidance: We suggest reviewing your AI knowledge after 12 months because technology, workplace practice and guidance develop rapidly. This is a suggested CPD review date, not an expiry date.
How it works for teams
- 1. Choose how many licences you need and pay by card, or request an invoice.
- 2. Add your learners' names and email addresses.
- 3. They sign in to their WorkplaceHero account and start the course straight away.
- 4. Track who has been set up from your account.
Common questions
How do learners access this course?
This course is delivered here on WorkplaceHero. Each learner signs in to their own WorkplaceHero account with the email you gave us and starts the course from their online courses - there is no separate platform login. Progress updates live on your team dashboard, and the certificate and CPD log entry appear automatically on completion.
What is AI awareness training?
It builds the practical literacy needed to understand what AI is doing, use it for suitable tasks, check its output and protect information and people. This course is not a superficial tour of AI terminology.
Who should complete AI training?
Any employee, manager or professional who uses AI, encounters AI-generated work, manages people who use it or makes decisions informed by it. No technical background is needed.
Does this course teach ChatGPT?
It uses familiar generative AI examples but is not tied to one product. The prompting, checking and responsible-use principles transfer to ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude and similar systems.
Does the course cover data protection?
Yes, at awareness level. It explains why entering information into AI is processing, how to pause before uploading data, and why purpose, lawful basis, transparency, minimisation, security, provider arrangements and organisational approval all matter.
Can I use personal data in AI?
There is no responsible one-line answer. It depends on the tool, purpose, lawful basis, controls and organisational approval. Do not place personal or confidential information into an unapproved public tool. Follow your employer's policy and seek appropriate advice for significant processing.
Can employers assign this to staff?
Yes. Organisation administrators can buy or assign places, monitor progress and view completion, scores and certificates through their WorkplaceHero dashboard.
Do learners receive a certificate?
Yes. Passing the assessment at 80% or above immediately issues a verified WorkplaceHero certificate and records 1.5 CPD hours.
Is the course accredited?
It is a WorkplaceHero certificate of completion and is not described as independently accredited. It is suitable as evidence of structured CPD and baseline workplace AI literacy.
How often should AI training be refreshed?
The course sets a suggested review date 12 months after completion. Organisations may review sooner when tools, guidance, risks or internal policies change.
Does the EU AI Act apply in the UK?
Not automatically to every UK employer. Its application depends on the organisation, activity and connection to the EU. Organisations operating within scope should use current European Commission information and obtain appropriate advice.
Course details
- Course version
- 1.2
- Content last reviewed
- September 2026
- Next review due
- September 2027
- Study time
- 1.5 hours
- CPD hours
- 1.5 hours
- Pass mark
- 80%
- Assessment
- 20 questions, unlimited retakes
Accuracy and scope
Course content last reviewed September 2026. The course is primarily UK-focused and draws on current ICO and GOV.UK guidance. Guidance can change, so important decisions should be checked against current authoritative sources and your organisation's own policies. EU AI Act obligations are relevant only where an organisation or use falls within its scope.