How do you learn about artificial intelligence? Unless you’re in school, it might be from news headlines, videos on social media or your own conversations with a chatbot.
A team from the Universities of Wisconsin decided that people around our state need something more reliable. So they created a series of short videos that explain what AI is and how to use it.
All seven videos add up to just 15 minutes. They’re basically a crash course in how AI is different from anything we’ve seen before.
"The software you’re used to: calculators, email apps, spreadsheets...It follows instructions," The narrator says in the first video. "Tell it what to do, it does exactly that, every time. AI does something different. It generates. That one shift — from finding something to generating something — changes everything.”
Videos on AI are clear: AI makes mistakes
Emily Laird is an AI integration specialist at UW-Stout who worked on developing the free video series.
“We didn't want these courses to be jargon-heavy. We didn't want people to need any background with artificial intelligence," she says. "So starting with what AI actually does, what it is, seemed the most natural to start.”
From there, the videos give examples of where people see AI and tips on how to get better answers when using chatbots.
“AI isn’t the same as a search engine. Instead, think of it like a conversation," the narrator says. "The better you communicate, the better it responds.”
Laird says the videos are designed for anyone, from students who use AI all the time to older Wisconsinites who may want to poke around with the new technology. But, she says, it’s a mistake to think AI isn’t already everywhere around us.
“One of the misconceptions is that folks will say, 'Well, I don't use AI.' The reality is you're engaging with AI every day in many applications or devices, softwares, tools that you use because it is being built in or integrated into those, or has been for over a decade," she says.
Importantly to Laird and the team, the video series also explains how AI can make mistakes. Here’s one example:
“You find a mushroom. You snap a photo. You ask AI if it’s safe to eat. AI says yes. But it’s wrong. Some mistakes are inconvenient, and some decisions are too important to leave to AI no matter how confident it sounds," according to the video. "Any time a mistake could create a legal issue or seriously affect your health or future, get a professional involved."
AI videos from UW don't address environmental, other concerns with the tech
Not everyone is jumping on board with using AI on a regular basis due to concerns about its impact on the environment and our population.
Data centers that power AI can consume up to five million gallons per day, according to a 2025 study done by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. That’s equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people — anywhere from the size of Pewaukee to the size of Wauwatosa.
There are also ethical concerns. Students and teachers from primary school to graduate programs say they’re worried about plagiarism and the loss of critical thinking when people use AI to do their reading, writing and brainstorming.
Asked whether the videos confront concerns about AI, Laird said “we don't go heavily into those limitations in that space, and we wanted to ensure that we're creating a literacy on-ramp."
"We recognize and understand their impacts to sustainability. There are definitely ethical questions that come from much of this technology. But this technology will continue to be developed. It is going to continue to grow as we look at investment across the globe, from [computing] to data centers to chip development," she says. "And so it is our responsibility as the Universities of Wisconsin to ensure that all Wisconsinites have basic AI literacy when engaging with these tools.”
She adds that those who don't learn how to use the technology responsibly could end up unprepared for the future.
“This technology is here, It’s now. It’s not going anywhere," she says. "It’s only going to continue to grow and expand and be integrated into everything that we do.”
The free video series is available online on the UW website.
Do you have a question about education or how schools work in our area? Submit it here to WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal.
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