You Can Get a Google AI Certification for $99. Or Just Do the Training for Free
Google has an idea: This week, Google Cloud unveiled a "Generative AI Leader" certification, which involves taking a multiple-choice test to demonstrate your knowledge of the technology.
The exam costs $99. But if you're curious about AI and want to learn more from Google, the training course -- which is seven-eight hours long -- is totally free.
Spending the money to take the test and get a certification is one thing. Credentials can be valuable in a job hunt or in bargaining for a promotion, but the skills are probably more important.
And even if gen AI isn't something you think you will or should use at work, understanding how it works and what it's capable of is perhaps more important. While some companies are going all-in on AI, others are placing more value on your human skills.
What's in Google Cloud's Generative AI Leader course?
The training path includes a few different categories of training:
One segment of basic concepts around generative AI beyond just chatbots.
A section on how large language models and other machine learning systems work.
A look at the broader tech space where AI exists in the workplace (with a focus, naturally, on Google Cloud).
A practical examination of gen AI applications and tools at work.
An overview of AI agents -- tools that can do things on your behalf.
The course includes videos and interactive components, with exercises using Google's Gemini model and other tools.
Other ways to learn about AI
Gen AI is everywhere these days, and that means courses and trainings on how to use it are multiplying almost daily. Google isn't alone in offering something.
Microsoft has a special "AI Skills Fest" promotion running through May 28 with a wide range of trainings and educational sessions for free. Just as the Google Cloud course emphasizes Google's tech, expect a focus on Copilot and other Microsoft tools here.
LinkedIn last week announced it will make its 10 most popular courses on AI free to all members through the end of May.
We here at CNET have put together plenty of our own guides on gen AI to help you out if you're AI-curious. A good place to start is all the tips in our AI Essentials guide.
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