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Level 2 of 4 · Beginner
Understand AI
How generative AI works, why it behaves the way it does, what its limitations are, and what responsibilities humans retain.
About 100 minutes
By the end of this level you should be able to
- Explain in plain terms how generative AI produces its output
- Explain why fluent language alone does not establish sentience or authority
- Identify the responsibilities that stay with you when you use AI at SLS
Lessons in this level
Lesson 1 of 6
AI: What It Is—and Isn’t
What artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative AI, and large language models are, and why AI is a tool.
About 15 minutesLesson 2 of 6
How Generative AI Works
A conceptual, nontechnical explanation of how a typical generative language-model assistant is trained and how it produces output.
About 20 minutesLesson 3 of 6
Why AI Can Sound So Human
Why conversational AI output can sound human, and why fluent conversation alone does not establish human-like experience or authority.
About 15 minutesLesson 4 of 6
What AI Can—and Cannot—Do
Capability and limitation across text, images, audio, video, code, and analysis, including where AI is a poor fit.
About 15 minutesLesson 5 of 6
Using AI at Stanford Law
The institutional responsibilities that come with using AI at Stanford Law School, and where to find current guidance.
About 15 minutesLesson 6 of 6
Human Review and the PAUSE Rule
The PAUSE Rule, and the human responsibilities that remain when AI is part of the work.
About 20 minutes