AI is starting to appear in many workplaces, but for many people it remains loosely defined — tried in small ways, discussed in broad terms, and not yet well understood. The real challenge is no longer access to the technology, but developing a clear view of what AI actually does, how it behaves, and how to approach it thoughtfully and responsibly in a work context. This program provides a practical foundation for making sense of AI at work, focusing on building clarity, judgement, and confidence around how AI can support day-to-day work, where its limits lie, and how risk should be understood and managed. Rather than concentrating on tools or features, the emphasis is on developing the right mindset and expectations so people can use AI productively, avoid common pitfalls, and build capability over time.
This is Tim Martin's flagship foundational offering and the most widely delivered workshop in his practice. It has been delivered in over 200 sessions over the past three years to organisations of all sizes, including corporates, SMEs, and government departments. It is consistently the most requested because it provides a clear, practical grounding in AI and serves as a strong stepping stone into more advanced or specialised areas of use and adoption.
Learning pathway
Designed as the starting point, this course establishes a shared baseline understanding across teams. It is followed one week later, on the same day, by ChatGPT: Advanced Use for Professional Work (click to view course details), which focuses on putting that understanding into day-to-day professional practice.
Both courses can also be taken as standalone programs. Organisations that book both courses together receive a 20% discount on each course (20% off the combined price) and typically treat them as two parts of a single learning program.
Prerequisites and access requirements
There are no formal prerequisites. However, participants will need access to a paid ChatGPT licence to get full value from the session. All demonstrations and examples are based on features available in paid versions of ChatGPT, and the course does not cover free-tier limitations or workarounds. Participants without access to a paid licence before or after the session are unlikely to be able to apply what is shown in practice. While demonstrations are delivered using ChatGPT, the principles covered are broadly applicable across enterprise AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot. The differences are largely in interface rather than approach.
Bringing a laptop or device is optional. The course is designed to be valuable whether participants are working hands-on or engaging through discussion and examples. The program is updated over time to reflect changes in how ChatGPT is used in practice, ensuring examples and discussion remain current and relevant.
Program topics
Getting comfortable with AI at work: data, privacy and safe use
What information can be shared, what should not be, and what actually happens to data in everyday workplace use. This section addresses common concerns early to remove unnecessary fear and establish confidence.
How AI actually works in practice
A clear, non-technical explanation of how AI produces outputs, what it is good at, where it struggles, and why it does not “understand” things in the way people often assume.
Confidence, judgement and knowing when not to trust the output
Why AI responses can sound convincing even when they are wrong, how over-reliance develops, and how to stay in control so the tool supports professional judgement rather than replacing it.
Getting better results: context, iteration and refinement
Why AI works best as an iterative support tool, and why context, feedback and refinement matter more than one-off requests or first drafts.
Checking the work: validation and decision risk
How to sense-check and validate AI output in practical, business-relevant ways — particularly when dealing with numbers, assumptions, recommendations or decisions that matter.
Brand, quality and reputation in an AI-assisted world
Why low-quality or generic AI output creates real brand risk, and how organisations can set expectations that maintain standards without slowing people down.
What AI adoption actually looks like inside organisations
How use varies across roles, teams and individuals, why some people move faster than others, and how a two-speed workplace can emerge if adoption is left unmanaged.
Using more than one AI (and why that matters)
Why different chatbots perform better at different tasks, how to switch between them in practice, and examples of where tools from Google's 'Gemini' and Anthropic's 'Claude' demonstrate distinct strengths.
Keeping up: learning, experimentation and changing expectations
Why AI capability keeps shifting, why most people underestimate how much is changing, and how to approach AI as something you continue to learn and adapt to over time.
Your instructor
Tim Martin
Tim is a leading AI educator and commentator specialising in the practical workplace application and adoption of generative AI.
More about TimFAQ
SPOTS LEFT
12FORMAT
Face-to-face
DURATION
1 Day
STARTS
Thursday 28 May9:00am - 4:30pmQUANTITY
VENUE
Opus Workspaces
Level 13, 200 Queen St, Melbourne, VIC 3000PRICE
$895
20% DISCOUNT when booking 2+ courses or 2+ people. Discount applied at check-out.
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What participants thought
Dave J
External Affairs Director
Brilliant, practical and actionable short-courses and resources that make a difference. Tim is a great presenter.
Andrew W
Managing Director
Thank you...Thank you... It is so refreshing to learn from someone with such a deep understanding and can explains things in such a practical way. I put it all to work straight away. Well done Tim :)
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