Search for generative AI training and you'll find a wall of free courses from the big tech companies. Some of them are very good. I tell teams to use them. But they're built to explain the technology, or to teach people how to build with it, and neither is the same as getting a sales team, a marketing team or an office manager to do their own work better on Monday.

I've been in marketing since 2003, I've spoken at over 100 events internationally, and I'm typically brought in to speak to leadership teams, founders and senior marketers about the practical impact of AI. Here's what the free courses cover, where they stop, and how hands-on generative AI training fills the gap.

The free generative AI courses worth knowing

Google Cloud and Microsoft both publish free generative AI training. These are the ones I'd point a team to, with what each covers according to the vendors' own pages:

Course	Who makes it	What it covers	Best for
Introduction to Generative AI	Google Cloud	A 22-minute course with a video, reading and a quiz	Anyone who needs the basics
Introduction to Large Language Models	Google Cloud	About 30 minutes on what LLMs are, use cases and prompt tuning	Curious non-technical staff
Generative AI Fundamentals skill badge	Google Cloud	Three foundational courses and a quiz	People who want a shareable badge
Generative AI for Beginners	Microsoft	21 lessons, with code in Python and TypeScript	Developers building AI apps

Where the free courses stop

Google's foundation courses say they're designed for any role, with no technical experience needed. That's true, and they're a good start. Google listed them in a December 2, 2023 round-up of no-cost training, so check the current catalogue before you assign them, because course lists change.

Microsoft's course is a different animal. Its own page describes it as 21 lessons to get started building with generative AI. Its Build lessons come with code in Python and TypeScript, and later lessons cover RAG and vector databases, fine-tuning and AI agents. It's excellent for developers. Hand it to a marketing team and it's the wrong starting point.

Neither course knows your clients, your brand voice, your tools or your rules about client data. That's the gap a trainer fills.

What hands-on generative AI training adds

When I train a team, the free courses become the homework and the session becomes the work. Here's what changes:

• Your tasks, not examples: each team brings the jobs that take the most hours, and we build the AI workflow for those.
• Your rules: we agree which tools are approved and what never goes into them.
• Your tools: training happens in the tools you already pay for, not a demo account.
• Checking the output: people learn to spot when AI is confidently wrong before it reaches a client.
• Something that stays: everyone leaves with a workflow they'll use next week, not a certificate.

A simple learning path for a business team

This is the order I'd use for a team that's starting out. It costs nothing until the hands-on part, and the hands-on part goes further because everyone arrives with the basics.

1. The basics: everyone takes Google's free Introduction to Generative AI course.
2. The rules: leadership agrees the approved tools and what's off limits, on one page.
3. Hands-on training: a session on two or three real tasks per team, with each person working on their own material.
4. Practice: each person runs one AI workflow on real work every week.
5. Review: a follow-up to fix what's stuck and add the next task.

Where my training fits

Your team learns the AI workflows I would have built for you, so you build capability inside the business rather than depending on a consultant. I run sessions as workshops online or in person, and webinars that end with a Q&A. If you're in the UK and want a government-backed free starting point too, my page on AI upskilling for small teams covers it. Once the basics land, prompt engineering training is the natural next step.

Not sure which format suits your team? I've compared online and in-person AI training so you can choose.

My advice before you book generative AI training

Use the free courses first. They're good, and there's no reason to pay a trainer to explain what a large language model is. Then pay for the part the courses can't do: training on your own tasks, with your own rules, that ends with workflows people use. Ask any trainer what your team will do differently the week after. If they talk about tools rather than tasks, keep looking.

If you'd like me to train your team, book a free 30-minute call through my work with me page. As someone I've worked with said: "Lilach has a rare ability to make AI practical, commercial, and immediately actionable without the tech jargon."

Frequently asked questions

Is there free generative AI training?

Yes. Google Cloud offers free courses such as Introduction to Generative AI, a 22-minute course, and Microsoft publishes Generative AI for Beginners, a free 21-lesson course aimed at people building AI applications.

Is Microsoft's Generative AI for Beginners right for a business team?

It's built for developers: its Build lessons include code in Python and TypeScript. Non-technical teams are better starting with Google's foundation courses and hands-on training on their own tasks.

What does a generative AI trainer add to free courses?

Training on the team's real tasks, agreed rules on what never goes into AI tools, practice in the tools the business already uses, and a follow-up so the habits stick.

Does Lilach Bullock run generative AI training online?

Yes. Lilach runs workshops online or in person and webinars with a Q&A, for clients in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia.

How do I book generative AI training with Lilach Bullock?

Book a free 30-minute call through the work with me page to talk about your team and what you want them to do differently.