AI is in most workplaces now, but for most people it’s still only partly understood: used in narrow ways, talked about in broad terms, rarely with much practical grounding. The problem is no longer access. It’s knowing what these tools actually do, where they help, where they fall short, and how to use them responsibly at work.
This is a practical foundation for using AI with more clarity and judgement in everyday work, built around live demonstrations, real tasks and real outputs.
Live demonstrations, not slides
Everything is demonstrated live, on real documents and real tasks, so you see the work done in front of you rather than described. It isn’t a lab: you don’t need to bring a laptop or build along, but you’ll see exactly how the work gets done, at a pace you can follow.
Taught across both platforms
The demonstrations move between ChatGPT and Claude fairly evenly. The differences between them are more about interface than approach, and what you learn carries over to whichever tool you use.
If your organisation uses Microsoft Copilot, this course still applies. Copilot sits on top of the same underlying models, so while the demonstrations aren’t run in the Copilot window, the material is about how those models behave and how to work with them well, which doesn’t change with the interface.
Program topics
How AI works in practice
You don’t need to be technical. But understanding what’s happening underneath changes how you use these tools and what you expect from them.
Context, iteration and refinement
Most people write one prompt and accept whatever comes back. This covers the habits that separate a usable result from a generic one.
Research, search and source material
How these tools handle research, what they’re drawing on, and where the answers actually come from.
Where your data goes
What happens to the material you put into these tools, what’s retained, and which of the common assumptions are wrong.
Safe use, policy and real risks
What can be shared and what shouldn’t be, the standards that guide responsible use, and the risks most teams haven’t considered yet, from inaccuracy and bias through to legal exposure and reputational damage.
Knowing when not to trust the output
AI can sound confident and be wrong. How to recognise it, and how to stay in control of the work.
Checking the work
How to verify AI-assisted output and manage risk when the work matters.
Brand, quality and reputation
If everything an organisation produces sounds like AI wrote it, that’s a brand problem. How to hold standards when the tools make mediocre easy.
What adoption looks like inside organisations
How use varies across teams, why gaps open up, and what unmanaged uptake looks like in practice.
Prerequisites and access
No formal prerequisites. A paid AI licence is recommended to get full value from the session, though it isn’t required to attend. Bringing a laptop or device is optional: this is a demonstration-led session, not a hands-on lab. The program is updated regularly as the tools change.
About this program
This is my flagship foundational course and the one I run most often, with more than 220 sessions over the past three years for corporates, SMEs and government departments. It remains the most requested program because it gives people a clear, practical grounding in AI and a pathway into more advanced use.
Pair this with an advanced course
This course can be taken on its own, but it also works as the first half of a two-course sequence with ChatGPT and Claude at Work: what you’re not using yet. Foundations is mostly first-principles material: how these tools work, how to get better results, and how to use them soundly. The advanced course is mostly tools and workflows: projects, skills, agents, spreadsheet work and complex documents. Both are demonstrated the same way.
A 20% discount applies when booking two or more courses, or for two or more people. Many organisations treat the two courses as parts of a single learning program.
Dates
One day, $895 per person. Book two or more people, or two or more courses, and 20% comes off at checkout.
Your instructor
FAQ
About the AI courses
Which AI tools do you cover?
Mainly ChatGPT and Claude. The day moves between the two, and most of the methods work the same way in both.
Our organisation uses Microsoft Copilot. Is the course still relevant?
Yes. Copilot is built on the same underlying AI models as ChatGPT and Claude. The demonstrations aren't run in Copilot, but the methods carry over.
Which course should I start with?
If you're new to AI or use it now and then, start with Foundations of AI at work. If you already use ChatGPT or Claude most days, go straight to Advanced ChatGPT and Claude at work. Many people do both, and the 20% two-course discount applies.
What do I take away afterwards?
The full presentation and a set of interactive notes, built so you can keep working through the material with ChatGPT or Claude after the day. People tell me the notes are the part they keep coming back to.
Won't the content be out of date quickly?
The program is updated regularly as the platforms change, so you see the tools as they are now.
Do I need a paid ChatGPT or Claude account?
Not for the course itself. To use much of what's demonstrated afterwards, you'll need a paid plan.
Course discounts
Multi-course and multi-person discounts
Book two or more courses, or two or more people, and you get 20% off. The discount is applied at checkout and can't be combined with other offers.
net101 alumni discount
If you've done a net101 course before, you get 20% off any other single course. Contact me for a code before you book.
Charities, students and people between jobs
If you're from a registered charity, a student or between jobs, you get 20% off a single course, or 50% off two or more. Contact me to confirm you're eligible before you book.
Payment options
How can I pay?
Pay by Visa, Mastercard or AMEX when you book, or choose to pay by invoice. The invoice is emailed to you when you book and needs to be paid before the course, unless we've agreed otherwise.
Can I get a purchase order number on my invoice?
Yes. Once you've booked, email tim@net101.com.au with the PO number and any other details you need, and I'll send an updated invoice.
Refunds, transfers and substitutions
I've booked a course but can no longer attend
Email tim@net101.com.au at least 28 days before the course and you'll get a full refund. After that I can't refund, but you can send someone in your place.
Can I transfer to another date?
Only for medical reasons, affecting you or a dependant, and with at least 24 hours' notice before the course starts. You can transfer once, to the same course, within 3 months of the original date. A transferred booking can't be refunded or passed to someone else.
Can I send someone else in my place?
Yes. Email me their name and contact details at least 24 hours before the course starts. This isn't available if you've already transferred the booking.
Where are the full booking terms?
Course suitability
Are net101 courses any good?
Who attends net101 courses?
Managers, professionals and business owners who want to use AI properly in their everyday work, from occasional users to people who use it daily.
Is net101 a registered training organisation (RTO)?
No. net101 courses are professional development, not nationally recognised qualifications.
Can you run a workshop for our team?
Yes. Half-day or full-day, onsite or virtual, and built around your organisation's own documents and work. See Team learning.
Face-to-face courses
Where are courses held?
In professional corporate training venues around Australia. The venue for each course is on its course page.
What time does the course run?
Courses usually run from 9:00am to 4:30pm. Check the course page for the exact times.
Is lunch provided? What about dietary requirements?
Yes. Tea and coffee are provided, and lunch is covered. Depending on the venue, lunch is either ordered in or you're given an allowance to buy your own nearby, so you can choose something that suits you.
Do I need to bring a laptop?
No. The day is live demonstrations, not a hands-on lab. You're welcome to bring a laptop or other device to use in the background. There's wifi, but I can't guarantee access to a power point, so come charged or bring your cord.
What should I wear?
Whatever you'd wear to the office. Training rooms can run cold, so bring a layer.
Want this course delivered to your team?
Half day or full day, at your office or by livestream, built around your organisation's own documents.
What participants thought
I came along wondering whether any of this would apply to a small business like mine. Left with a page of things to try and a much clearer idea of where to start.
Really well organised, from the booking through to the notes afterwards. There was a lot to take in, so having something to refer back to has been useful.
I thought I had a pretty good understanding of AI. I genuinely didn’t realise the models could do so much. Well worth the day, even if you’re already an experienced user.