Extended Thinking & Co-Creating with LLMs
The Generative Era marks a transformative period in design, driven by the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence technologies. The course will introduce key concepts forming the foundation of this new era, including Artificial Intelligence (both narrow and general), Machine Learning, Generative AI, Large Language Models, and Natural Language Processing, among others.
The functionality of Large Language Models, which power many of today's AI applications, will be explored. The critical skill of prompt engineering—effectively communicating with AI systems to achieve desired outcomes—will also be discussed. This comprehensive introduction aims to equip participants with the knowledge and understanding necessary to navigate and leverage the potential of AI in their work.
AI Fundamentals
Explain key concepts in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Generative AI, distinguishing between narrow and general AI, and understanding their historical and technical evolution.
How LLMs Work
Describe how LLMs are trained, how they process and generate text, and what makes them distinct from traditional rule-based or statistical models.
Prompting Techniques
Apply core principles of prompt engineering to interact effectively with LLMs, including strategies for clarity, specificity, iteration, and role prompting.
Socratic Dialogue with AI
Engage LLMs as conversational partners to explore ideas, question assumptions, and support critical and reflective thinking through guided dialogue..
Creative Integration
Identify opportunities to incorporate LLMs into existing processes for ideation, problem-solving, writing, design, and decision-making tasks.
Critical Use of AI
Assess the quality, bias, and reliability of AI-generated content, and understand the ethical considerations and risks involved in AI-enhanced work.
Target
This module is designed for professionals, educators, creatives, and researchers at all levels of experience who are looking to deepen their understanding of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). Whether you’re a beginner curious about how these tools work, or an experienced practitioner seeking to integrate LLMs into your workflows, this course provides both conceptual grounding and practical application.
No prior technical knowledge is required — the focus is on accessible, critical, and creative engagement with AI as a thinking partner.
Acquired Competences
AI & LLM Foundations
Understand and explain core concepts of Artificial Intelligence, including the differences between narrow and general AI, and describe how Large Language Models (LLMs) are trained, structured, and applied across various contexts.
Prompt engineering & Coversational Architectures
Design and execute effective human-AI interactions by combining prompt engineering techniques with principles of conversational architecture—structuring dialogues with LLMs through role definition, task sequencing, and iterative refinement to guide meaningful and productive outcomes.
Co-Creative Dialogue & Applied Exploration
Engage LLMs in structured, reflective dialogue to support critical thinking, ideation, and problem-solving. Use conversational techniques—including Socratic questioning and iterative prompting—to co-create content, explore concepts, and integrate AI into creative and professional workflows.
Critical Evaluation
Critically assess AI-generated content for quality, relevance, bias, and ethical implications, and make informed decisions about when and how to trust or override machine outputs.
We are a group of curious humans driven by wonder. We examine technology, intelligence, and behavior, exploring questions of fairness and ethics for both society and our planet.
