I scoured the web to find courses in AI for the small business owner. The courses listed below will advance your AI knowledge. This is for small business owners, entrepreneurs, teachers, non-profit managers, or middle managers. This page helps small business owners quickly find the best AI courses based on skill level, time commitment, and real-world usefulness—so you can start using AI in your business immediately My goal is to connect you to short manageable classes. Below are classes which will provide you with immediately applicable skills to advance your individual purposes.
The courses in AI for the small business owners listed below are categorized as: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Specialized Skills. Some of the courses are taught by AI giants like Andrew NG, others by college professors, and still others by corporate giants like Google. I have already taken some of the courses listed below. For you to get the most from any class check-out the prerequisites, instructor(s), student reviews, length of the class, and resources available. I want you to receive immense value from the courses that you take.
Short, Practical AI Courses You Can Use Immediately
My path for AI learning began with a wide range of free courses which took as little as 15 minutes to complete compared to others which took months to complete. These free courses are great for getting your feet wet and getting a general understanding of the topic. They are, as we say, low risk/high reward options. Then I graduated to some paid courses with Coursera and LinkedIn Learning and eventually took some commercially prepared in-depth courses on the use of many various AI tools.
This page is organized to help you to find the training classes that are currently available. So, by following the instructions you will be able to discover a goldmine of training opportunities. I am not going to fill up this page with links to courses that are currently popular because as soon as I do that a course will be changed or cancelled and then I would have led you to a dead-end. So, by following the simple prompts below you will have access to a world of current AI learning opportunities.
Google Ecosystem: Google Skills
You may want to begin by learning essential AI skills from the company that is synonymous with the internet. You could start off with a free Google Skills class. You can find these by searching for “Google Skills.” Once there you may need to set up an account or use your G-mail account to get logged in. Then you will find their website and a vast array of courses. Along with the beginner classes you will find courses that cover intermediate and advanced levels of knowledge.
Google has also partnered up with Coursera to host many of their AI courses, and generally you will need to subscribe to Coursera to take these classes. The advantage of classes like these are focused on what you want to learn. To get the most out of classes like this you should check the prerequisites, class reviews, and the teachers’ reviews. This will help you make sure that the class is at the right level for where you are, and you may determine if the instructor’s teaching style is the best for how you prefer to learn.
You can just go to Coursera and once there search for Google, and you will find a vast array of classes taught by Google employees.
The most popular Google Career Certificates, primarily offered through Coursera, include: IT Support, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing & E-commerce, Project Management, UX Design, and Cybersecurity. These programs are designed for beginners, take 3–6 months to complete, and often include AI-focused training.
Top Google Professional Certificates
- Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate: Covers SQL, R programming, Tableau, and data-driven decision-making.
- Google IT Support Professional Certificate: Prepares learners for entry-level IT roles with a focus on troubleshooting, networking, and system administration.
- Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate: Focuses on marketing strategies, analytics, customer engagement, and tools like Canva and Shopify.
- Google Project Management Professional Certificate: Teaches traditional and agile project management methodologies.
- Google UX Design Professional Certificate: Focuses on user experience design, wireframing, and creating prototypes.
- Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate: Covers threat detection, network security, and Python programming for security.
Key Specialized and Free Certifications
- Google AI Essentials: A popular, shorter course on utilizing AI tools for productivity.
- Google Ads Certifications: Free certifications in Search, Display, Video, and Shopping ads available through Google Skillshop.
- Google Analytics Certification: A free certification covering Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
Microsoft Ecosystem: Microsoft Learn
To reach the Copilot training you simply need to search for Microsoft Learn and once there then search for Copilot – Microsoft’s’ AI tool. Once there, search for Microsoft 365 Copilot Training. These modules are designed to help users integrate AI into daily tasks:
- Work Smarter with AI using Microsoft Copilot: A learning path that covers using Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
- Get Started with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Courses focusing on summarizing reports, drafting emails, and creating content efficiently.
- Use AI for Everyday Tasks: A module focused on identifying ways to use AI at work and writing effective prompts.
As Google has Coursera offer many of their classes; Microsoft has partnered with LinkedIn Learning to offer their courses. They are a part of the Microsoft learning ecosystem.
LinkedIn Learning offers a vast selection of free Artificial Intelligence (AI) training courses. Many of the introductory courses are free, but to access many of the classes you will have to subscribe to LinkedIn Learning. For what you will get in return the price seems like a deal to me. They have many specialized courses on Generative AI (GAI) often in partnership with Microsoft. These courses cover various skill levels, from foundational knowledge to practical applications in business and technology.
LinkedIn AI training Courses
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: A foundational look at AI, its capabilities, and its limitations.
- Introduction to Prompt Engineering for Generative AI: Covers essential techniques for interacting with LLMs like ChatGPT.
- What Is Generative AI?: A comprehensive guide to understanding the basics, history, and applications of generative AI.
- Generative AI for Business Leaders: Focuses on applying AI in a professional, strategic setting
- Ethics in the Age of Generative AI: Explores responsible AI development and deployment
- Artificial Intelligence Foundations: Machine Learning: Covers the basics of machine learning algorithms and models.
Learning Paths and Certifications
- Career Essentials in Generative AI by Microsoft and LinkedIn: A popular 6-course learning path that provides a certificate upon completion.
- Build Critical AI Skills with 250 AI Courses: A curated list of courses including building AI literacy, prompt engineering, and specialized topics like ChatGPT for Web Developers.
- AI Skill Pathways: A collection of 27+ unlocked AI pathways covering everything from basic AI understanding to building AI agents.
Specialized AI Courses
- Microsoft Copilot: The Art of Prompt Writing: Techniques to maximize productivity with Microsoft Copilot.
- AI for Marketing: Practical use cases for marketing professionals.
- Generative AI for Recruiting: How to use AI for hiring.
- Midjourney: Tips and Techniques for Creating Images: A guide for creative professionals to work with AI image generators.
How to Access Free LinkedIn Learning Courses
- Navigate to LinkedIn Learning and search for the courses.
- Many free courses are featured on the LinkedIn Learning Blog or in dedicated AI topic areas.
- You do not need a paid subscription to access these specific “unlocked” courses; you can click directly on the course to start learning.
Chat-GPT Courses
Chat-GPT courses can be found on many platforms such as Udemy, Coursera, DataCamp, Frontend Masters, Udacity, ZTM Academy, YouTube and other platforms. Some of the classes which seem to provide a lot of value are as follows:
- Udemy: ChatGPT: Complete ChatGPT Course For Work 2026 (Ethically)!
- Udemy: The Complete AI Guide: Learn ChatGPT, Generative AI & More
- Zero to Mastery: Prompt Engineering Bootcamp (Working With AI & LLMs): Zero to Mastery
- Udemy: ChatGPT Masterclass: The Guide to AI & Prompt Engineering
- Coursera: ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers
Grok AI Courses
It seems like Grok xAI’s chatbot has partnered with NobleProg to offer some of its’ courses. To access them simply search for NobleProgand then in the search window type in Grok. It seems like NobleProg offers both online and in person classes.
- NobleProg: Introduction to Grok AI: Understanding xAI’s Chatbot
- NobleProg: Grok AI for Social Media and Content Creation
- NobleProg: Grok AI for Business Insights and Productivity
- NobleProg: Customizing and Integrating Grok AI into Workflows
- NobleProg: Ethical AI and the Future of Conversational Agents: Grok in Context