🧠 Learn how AI works · 🎓 Courses and learning platforms
Elements of AI
By MinnaLearn and the University of Helsinki. Visit Elements of AI
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Free online courses that explain what AI is, what it can and cannot do, and how it affects daily life. Introduction to AI needs no math or programming; Building AI teaches the algorithms behind AI and suggests basic Python. Learners read short chapters, answer exercises, and review other students' answers. Made for adults, it suits older teens who read well. Over 2 million people have signed up.
Our take: Good for strong-reading teens and parents who want to understand AI together; too text-heavy for younger kids.
| Ages it suits | older teens and adults (about 15+) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Not stated in terms. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Courses free (Oct 2026). The terms mention paid services, and the FAQ covers payment for the Building AI certificate. |
| Works on | Web |
| Account | The child's own account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI in the course; it teaches about AI. |
What's good
- Free, clear and math-free intro course
- From a public university
- Explains limits of AI, not just uses
- Many languages
Watch for
- Written for adults, heavy on reading
- Peer review means strangers see answers
- No child-specific privacy terms
- Paid certificate on one course
Data and privacy
Collects sign-up details and exercise answers to run the course and issue certificates; research use and marketing need consent. Uses Crisp for support and Adyen for certificate payments. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own claims only (over 2 million sign-ups). No independent learning study found.
In the Big Index
- On the list 12 ways to teach kids how AI actually works
- On the list 16 AI activities for teens (projects, courses and competitions)
- On the list 18 gifts for teens who love AI
- On the list 23 best free online courses for teens
- Elements of AI
Alternatives to Elements of AI
Desk researchFreeNo ads
AI Duet
Yotam Mann with Google Magenta and Creative Lab · ages about 5 and up
Worth a few minutes in a music or AI lesson; not a tool for learning piano.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
AI Literacy Lessons for Grades K-12
Common Sense Education · ages grades K-12 (AI-specific lessons start in grade 6)
A good free starting point for teachers and parents who want to talk about AI with middle and high schoolers; anyone wanting hands-on AI building should pair it with a project-based course.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
AI Unplugged
Stefan Seegerer and Annabel Lindner (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg) · ages about 10-18 (designed for lower and upper secondary; some activities adapt for primary)
A strong free choice for teachers or homeschool parents who want kids to understand how AI learns without using AI tools; families wanting a ready-to-run app should look elsewhere.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Arduino UNO Q
Arduino · ages about 13 and up with some coding experience
A good next step for teens who already know Arduino and want to add AI vision; true beginners should start with a classic UNO or a starter kit.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
AutoDraw
Google Creative Lab · ages about 5 and up
Handy for quick posters and class projects; skip it when the point is for kids to practice their own drawing.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
BBC micro:bit
Micro:bit Educational Foundation · ages about 8-14
One of the best-value ways for 8- to 14-year-olds to learn coding and simple machine learning, with privacy-first tools; very young children will need help.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.elementsofai.com/
- https://www.elementsofai.com/faq
- https://www.elementsofai.com/faq/terms-and-conditions
- https://www.elementsofai.com/faq/privacy-policy
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.