Free AI Literacy Class in Grand Rapids Aims to Fight Misinformation

There is a lot of noise online right now. If you’re scrolling online, there’s a chance a lot of what you’re seeing is fake photos, videos and quotes. Now, entire social media posts generated in seconds and shared thousands of times before anyone stops to ask if they are real.

And, that is exactly why being on top of AI is more important than ever.

Grand Valley State University (GVSU)  is launching a free AI literacy course, that will not only be open to students and staff, but to the entire community. Registration opens March 2, and the course is fully online and self paced to make it even easier to take at your pace.

The best part? You don’t need to be a tech expert with a computer science background. In fact, you don’t even need to be a college student. Whether you are 18 or 80, the course is designed to meet you where you are and make sure you have the best tools to navigate this quickly changing digital landscape.

Participants will learn the basics of AI, including generative AI and bot assistants. The course will walk through how to formulate good questions for AI tools and how they can be used productively at work and at home. Just as importantly, it will cover the risks. Because here is the truth, AI does not always get it right even when it’s used with good intention.

The course will address misinformation, bias, ethics, privacy concerns and even sustainability. In a moment where AI generated content can look incredibly convincing, knowing how to question what you are seeing online is no longer optional. It is essential.

After completing the course, participants can choose to pay for a GVSU digital certificate and badge. And for anyone who decides they want to go deeper, there are additional pathways, including degree programs at the university.

At a time when AI is being used to create everything from helpful tools to misleading social media posts, offering free education to the community feels like the right move. Instead of telling people to simply be careful online, this course actually shows them how.

If you have ever wondered how AI works, how to use it responsibly, or how to spot when something is not quite right, this is an opportunity to learn without spending a dime. Get details, and get registered when it opens on their website.