Day 1 – Introduction to Generative AI Lesson

Lesson Overview

This lesson gives you a practical introduction to generative AI, the type of AI that can create new content like text, images, video, audio, and even music. Generative AI went mainstream in November 2022 when OpenAI released ChatGPT, a simple chat interface that reached over 100 million users in its first month. That moment made AI feel useful and accessible to everyday work.

From there, other major players followed with their own chatbots. Microsoft released Copilot, which is powered by OpenAI’s models. Google launched Gemini, a direct competitor to ChatGPT and Copilot. Anthropic introduced Claude, Meta launched its own AI, and X added Grok. You do not need to learn every tool. Once you understand how one works, you can translate the same approach to others.

You will also meet the two major categories of generative AI. Large language models handle text tasks like drafting, summarizing, and answering questions. Diffusion models create media like images, videos, and audio. Examples include Midjourney for images, Sora from OpenAI and Veo inside Google Gemini for video, Runway for text to video, Eleven Labs for voice generation, HeyGen for AI avatars and cloning, and text to music apps that turn prompts into songs.

This lesson sets the foundation for the rest of the boot camp. It is helpful for anyone who writes, designs, teaches, markets, analyzes information, or produces content.

Who This Is For

If you want to turn ideas into draft content faster, or you need a simple map of which AI tool does what, start here. This lesson is a fit for:

• Marketers and content creators who want faster drafts and visuals
• Educators and trainers who want to build lessons or media assets
• Small business owners who need copy, images, or video without large budgets
• Product and operations teams who need summaries, FAQs, or help content
• Analysts and researchers who need quick writeups and explanations

Where This Fits in a Workflow

Use the concepts in this lesson at the very start of any AI-assisted project. First, decide whether your task is text focused or media focused. If it is text, reach for an AI chatbot like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or Claude. If it is images or video, consider Midjourney, Sora, Veo, or Runway. For voice or avatars, think Eleven Labs and HeyGen.

• Example 1: Create a product explainer. Draft the script with an LLM, generate a hero image with Midjourney, then turn your script into a short video with Runway.
• Example 2: Build a training lesson. Use a chatbot to outline the content, produce a narration with Eleven Labs, and use HeyGen to present it on screen.
  

Technical & Workflow Benefits

The older way to create content started with a blank page, a stock photo search, and a full video or audio production process. Generative AI removes much of that setup. An LLM can turn a one sentence brief into a usable draft. A diffusion model can generate a tailored image in seconds. Text to video tools can produce a visual cut of your story without cameras, and voice generation can give you a clear narration without a studio.

This matters when you need to test ideas quickly or create multiple versions. For example, you can ask ChatGPT or Gemini for five alternate headlines, then produce matching images with Midjourney or inside ChatGPT’s image tool. You can create a 20 second concept video with Sora, Veo, or Runway to validate a direction before investing more. The result is faster iteration, clearer feedback, and more consistent output. Keep in mind these tools are not AGI and they have limits. You will learn how to use them well and where caution is needed as the course progresses.

Practice Exercise

Try a mini idea to content pipeline using one text tool and one media tool.

1. Pick a simple scenario you know well. Example ideas: a welcome email for new customers, a social post for an event, or a 15 second product teaser.
2. Use one chatbot, such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or Claude, to draft a short paragraph or script. Ask for two variations with different tones.
3. Turn that text into a visual. For images, prompt Midjourney or the image feature in ChatGPT or Gemini for a square social graphic. For video, try a short text to video prompt in Sora, Veo, or Runway. For audio, produce a short narration in Eleven Labs. Optional: present the narration with a HeyGen avatar.
   
   Reflection: Which part felt most helpful, the text draft or the media output? What would you change in your prompt to get closer to your intent on the next pass?
   

Course Context Recap

Day 1 gives you a clear map of the generative AI space, the key tools, and how to think about text versus media tasks. It also clarifies what AGI means and why current tools are not AGI. Next, you will focus on large language models. You will see several of them in action, learn how they are trained at a high level, and understand limits that matter for real work. Continue to the next lesson to build strong habits with LLMs that transfer across tools.