Unlock the Power of AI: Your FREE Prompt Engineering Crash Course!

Are you fascinated by the power of AI tools like ChatGPT, but feel like you’re just scratching the surface? Do you want to learn how to really communicate with these powerful large language models (LLMs) to get the results you need? You’ve heard the buzz about “prompt engineering,” but maybe it sounds intimidating, technical, or even like a paid-only skill.

The good news? You can learn the fundamentals of prompt engineering – and unlock a whole new level of AI proficiency – absolutely free. This article is your roadmap to a comprehensive, beginner-friendly prompt engineering crash course, all available right here on this blog. No coding experience required!

Why Prompt Engineering Matters

Forget the hype about “prompt engineering” being a six-figure job. The truth is, it’s a critical skill for the future of work. Just like you need to know Microsoft Word or Excel to function in a modern office, you’ll need to understand how to interact effectively with LLMs. AI won’t take your job, but someone who knows how to use AI might. This free course will put you ahead of the curve.

Introducing the Course: Structure & Benefits

This isn’t your average “list of prompts” guide. We’re going deeper. This free crash course is built on a foundation of:

• Empirical Research: We’ll explore peer-reviewed studies and scientific findings to understand why certain prompts work and others don’t.
• Hands-On Learning: You’ll get your hands dirty with real projects, starting with building your own Snake game!
• Clear Explanations: No confusing jargon. We’ll break down complex concepts into easy-to-understand terms.
• Progressive Learning: We’ll start with the basics and gradually build your skills, step-by-step.
• A constantly evolving learning path.

Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll learn (Course Structure):

Part 1: Foundations – Understanding the “Why”

1. Welcome to the Future of Work: Why Learn Prompt Engineering?
   • Understand the difference between the hype and the reality of prompt engineering. Learn why it’s a crucial skill, not just a trendy job title.
2. What Isn’t Prompt Engineering? (Debunking Myths)
   • Discover why prompt libraries aren’t the answer, and why this course focuses on real understanding.
3. My Approach: Science, Research, and Hands-On Learning
   • Learn about the course methodology: empirical research, practical demos, and project-based learning.
4. Prompt Engineering: The Basics (What is a Prompt?)
   • Master the fundamental definition of a prompt and its core components (input and output).
5. Is “Engineering” the Right Word? (And Why You Can Do This)
   • Address any intimidation around the “engineering” term, and understand that prompt engineering is accessible to everyone.
6. The Multi-Disciplinary Nature of Prompt Engineering
   • See how prompt engineering draws from various fields, making your existing knowledge valuable.
7. The Big Question: Why Does Prompt Engineering Even Exist?
   • Get a deep understanding of the reason behind.
8. Emergent Abilities: The Magic of Large Language Models
   • Explore the fascinating concept of emergent abilities in LLMs, with real-world examples.
9. Visualizing Emergent Abilities: Charts and Graphs
   • Learn to interpret the scientific data behind emergent abilities.
10. A Simple Example, Big Implications (Math Errors)
    • See a practical demonstration of how LLMs can make mistakes, highlighting the need for careful prompting.
11. Applied Prompt Engineering: Beyond the Hype
    *Understand what is applied prompt engineering.
12. NASA’s “Bedara”: A Real-World Prompt Engineering Example
    • Explore a real-world case study of prompt engineering in action at NASA.
13. Deconstructing the NASA Prompt: Key Techniques
    • Break down the NASA prompt to identify key techniques you can use in your own prompts.
14. Your Own NASA Research Bot (Putting the Prompt to Use)
    • Get hands-on experience by using the NASA prompt yourself in ChatGPT.
15. Why is Prompt Engineering Important? (A Recap)
    * A good reminder.
16. Prompt Engineering: The New Programming Language?
    • Hear from leading AI experts about the importance of prompting.
17. AI Won’t Take Your Job, But… (The Real Threat)
    • Understand the competitive advantage that prompt engineering skills provide.

Part 2: Getting Started – Tools & Your First Project

18. Getting Set Up: Your Prompt Engineering Toolkit
    • Get introduced to the essential tools you’ll be using, primarily ChatGPT.
19. Understanding Different Large Language Models (LLMs)
    (Cover: brief introduction to differents llms)
20. Your First Look at the OpenAI Playground
    • Explore a more advanced interface for interacting with LLMs.
21. Understanding Multimodality: Text, Images, Code, and More
    • Learn how LLMs can handle different types of input (text, images, code, etc.).
22. The Knowledge Cut-Off Date (And How to Get Around It)
    • Understand the limitations of an LLM’s knowledge and how to access up-to-date information.
23. Setting Up Your (Free) ChatGPT Account
    • Follow step-by-step instructions to get started with ChatGPT.
24. Navigating the ChatGPT Interface
    • Become familiar with the ChatGPT interface and its features.
25. Get the ChatGPT App (And Why You Should)
    • Understand the benefits of using the ChatGPT mobile app.
26. Choosing Your Model: GPT-3.5 vs. GPT-4 (And Others)
    • Learn about the differences between various GPT models.
27. Your First Project: Building a Snake Game!
    • Dive into a hands-on project to solidify your understanding and have some fun!
28. Setting up your project with replit
    • Start coding
29. Refining Your Snake Game: Making it Better
    • Learn how to iterate on your prompts to improve your results.

Part 3: Diving Deeper – Technical Foundations

30. Understanding the Landscape: AI, ML, NLP, and LLMs
    • (Covers: Chart showing the relationship between AI, ML, NLP, and LLMs)
31. What Is a Large Language Model (LLM)?
    • (Covers: Definition of an LLM, “large,” “language,” “model”)
32. Emergent Abilities: Examples and Implications
    (Cover what we talk before about Emergent Abilities)
33. Inside an LLM: Parameters, Layers, and Tokens
    • (Covers: Explanation of parameters, layers, and tokens)
34. Tokens: The Language of LLMs (Not Just Words!)
    • (Covers: Explanation of tokens, tokenizer tool, examples)
35. Word Guessing Machines: How LLMs Really Work
    • (Covers: Explanation of next-token prediction, probabilities)
36. Thinking Like an LLM: The Reversal Curse
    (Cover the reversal curse)
37. Thinking Like an LLM: The Importance of Context
    • (Covers: Explanation of context, its importance, and the context window)
38. Lost in the Middle: Where Context Fails
    • (Covers: The research paper on context position, U-shaped curve)
39. Context Length vs. Accuracy: More Isn’t Always Better
    • (Covers: Research paper findings on context length and accuracy)
40. Key Takeaways: Using Context Effectively
    (Cover the key takeaways)
41. The System Message: Your Model’s North Star
    (Cover the System Message)
42. Creating a Custom System Message in ChatGPT
    (Cover System Message)
43. Thinking Like an LLM: Can It Keep a Secret?
    (Cover how chat gpt keep secrets)
44. Spill the Tea: Getting ChatGPT to Reveal Secrets (Exercise)
    (Cover: prompt to get the password)
45. The Prompt Engineering Framework
    (Cover: Prompt Engineering Framework introduction)
46. Fundamental Prompt Engineering: The Standard Prompt
    (Cover What is the standard prompt and when to use it)

Call to Action – Start Learning!

Ready to become an AI whisperer? Start with Link to Page 1: “Welcome to the Future of Work” and begin your free prompt engineering journey today! Don’t forget to bookmark this page as your course guide. Let’s unlock the power of AI, together!

See our blog about Artificial Intelligence

See also : Prompt Engineering Guide