Indiana University opens its free generative AI course to anyone worldwide

Indiana University is now offering its acclaimed essential skills course in generative artificial intelligence — GenAI 101 — to everyone worldwide, free of charge.

Faculty and staff at the IU Kelley School of Business developed one of the largest generative AI courses offered by a leading research university. Since it launched in August, more than 114,000 students, staff and faculty have enrolled in GenAI 101. In October, IU expanded access to its more than 805,000 alumni worldwide; thousands have enrolled since then.

“GenAI 101 was designed to prepare students across all fields for an AI-powered world,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “With the leadership of the Kelley School of Business and the expertise of its world-class faculty, we’re expanding access to this course for anyone seeking the essential, foundational skills needed to navigate a rapidly changing workforce. By making this course broadly available, we’re not only upskilling the talent that drives the state’s economic growth but preparing students to apply these cutting-edge tools responsibly and ethically.”

The GenAI 101 course is structured into eight self-paced modules and 16 concise lessons, each featuring practical takeaways and real-world applications tailored for today’s digital landscape. Participants develop critical skills, such as prompt engineering, data storytelling, fact-checking AI-generated content and ethical AI use.

Pat Hopkins, dean of the Kelley School and the James R. Hodge Chair of Excellence, said part of the reason for offering the course to the public is to help fellow Hoosiers remain competitive in a rapidly evolving job market, where 90% of employers are expected to implement AI solutions by 2028. The Kelley School is also working closely with corporate and governmental partners, in Indiana and beyond, as part of this initiative.

“We’ve been proud to support IU’s efforts in helping students, alumni, faculty and staff gain the tools needed to succeed in today’s ever-evolving technological landscape,” Hopkins said. “Today and more than ever, it is important that Kelley serves as the premier destination where our business partners and their employees, entrepreneurs, educators and others come to master this core professional skill, enabling them to learn and lead the economic future of Indiana and beyond.

“This initiative is in direct service to President Pamela Whitten’s IU 2030 strategic plan, which emphasizes serving our communities and fostering the kind of innovation that improves lives across Indiana and beyond.”

Hopkins said that mastering AI is no longer optional; he compared it to the dawn of the Internet or mobile phone eras, but evolving much faster. AI skills, paired with human critical-thinking skills, have quickly become a powerful and sought-after means of personal and professional productivity.

“As AI capabilities continue to accelerate, it’s a challenge for any organization to stay current with technology that is constantly reinventing itself,” Hopkins added. “The rise of AI makes us all students again, and we are working hard to keep Kelley at the forefront of this digital transformation. By opening our doors to the public, we ensure that our faculty, students, staff and now everyone can come sharpen their understanding, insight and marketable skills.”

Since the course was launched, many businesses, state governments and universities across the country have contacted IU to acquire or create a similar skills-based curriculum. In response, IU and the Kelley School decided to open enrollment in the certificate-bearing course to everyone at no cost.

GenAI 101 also offers interaction with a real-time, conversational AI learning agent named Crimson, who provides on-demand support for learners. All tools and examples are built around GenAI platforms that are accessible to the public, such as Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

“We designed GenAI 101 around short, practical videos with a touch of humor, and that combination has really resonated with learners,” said Brian Williams, the Sam Frumer Professor of Accounting and chair of Kelley’s Virtual Advanced Business Technologies Department.

“People from first-year students to executives at some of the largest corporations in the world have told us the course makes a complex and fast-moving topic feel approachable and actionable,” Williams added. “That’s exactly what we were going for, and it’s why we’re so excited to open the doors to everyone.”

Today’s announcement is part of a broader initiative at Kelley to incorporate AI into every aspect of its curriculum. Last year, the school introduced its Kelley AI Playbook, a working guide that shows faculty how to weave generative AI into teaching, grading, research and service.

Soon, the school’s foundational curriculum for undergraduates will include four revised and required IT and AI courses. Two of the classes will be available for any IU student in Bloomington or Indianapolis.

Visit Kelley’s Learn AI website for more information about enrolling.