Welcome
This course is a plain-English introduction to the AI tools that are reshaping how we work, study, and live online, and to the everyday cyber safety skills everyone now needs.
We'll try AI tools hands-on, look at how they actually work (and where they get things wrong), and build practical habits for protecting your accounts, your data, and your family online.
If you can send an email or use a phone, you'll be fine. The pace is built for the whole room, we'll meet you where you are.
What You'll Learn
AI fundamentals: what AI chatbots actually are, what they're good at, and what they get wrong.
Safe use of online tools: how to use AI, social media, and everyday apps without giving away more than you mean to.
Data privacy basics: what personal information is, where it goes, and how to keep control of it.
Recognising digital risks: scams, phishing, deepfakes, and the warning signs to watch for.
Practical habits: strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and the small routines that protect you day-to-day.
Who It's For
Workforce entrants, jobseekers, and anyone in the community who wants a confident start with AI and online safety. No background in IT, office work, or formal study is assumed.
The course is especially useful if you're thinking about work that involves computers, if you want to help family and friends stay safer online, or if you're simply curious about what AI is and isn't.
Day at a Glance
Morning: What AI actually is, trying the main tools, how to talk to them (prompting basics), and where they go wrong.
Middle of the day: Staying safe online: accounts, passwords, privacy, and recognising scams and dodgy content.
Afternoon: Deepfakes and AI-generated content, cyber safety for family and community, and building your own "safe use" checklist to take home.
Sessions
What Is AI, Really?
- Plain-English explanation of AI chatbots and what they do
- A quick tour of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot
- What AI is good at, and where it makes things up
- Free vs paid: what you can actually do without spending money
Talking to AI, Prompting Basics
- How to ask for what you actually want
- Giving context, role, and examples
- Hands-on: using AI for everyday tasks (letters, summaries, ideas, questions)
- Spotting when the answer is wrong or made up
Your Accounts and Your Data
- What personal data is, and who has yours
- Strong passwords and password managers, the simple version
- Two-factor authentication: turning it on and why it matters
- What to share (and what not to share) with AI tools
Scams, Phishing, and Dodgy Messages
- How to recognise a scam email, text, or call
- Common scams targeting Australians right now
- What to do if you've clicked something you shouldn't have
- Reporting: Scamwatch, ReportCyber, and your bank
Deepfakes and AI-Generated Content
- What deepfakes are and how they're made
- Spotting AI-generated images, voices, and video
- Misinformation and what to trust online
- Protecting your own face, voice, and name
Staying Safe, For You, Family and Community
- Kids, teens, and online safety (eSafety Commissioner resources)
- Helping older family members stay safe
- Your "safe use" checklist to take home
- Where to go for help and further learning
What You'll Take Away
A working understanding of what AI tools can and can't do, and confidence using at least one of them.
A personal cyber safety checklist, passwords, 2FA, privacy settings, and warning signs.
A short list of trusted places to go when something looks wrong (Scamwatch, ReportCyber, eSafety Commissioner).
A CDU TAFE attendance record, and a clearer picture of what further digital skills training is available.
Take-Home Resources
Three reference pages you can keep open, share with classmates, or revisit after the day.
Just Ask It
A short list of practical "just ask the AI" prompts for everyday tasks. The starter set we hand out on the day.
Using AI Remotely
Bandwidth, data use, and practical tips for AI on a 4G bar, a Starlink dish, or a shared venue Wi-Fi. What works, what chews data.
Prompt Gallery
A larger collection of worked prompts, each with the rationale and a sample answer, organised by everyday task.