PATH 01 · FOUNDATIONSAI, without the guessworkWrite a reliable research brief.ACADEMY · FREE · NO SIGNUP
20 project paths. 200 hands-on activities.
Every path ends in something real you can show: a checked report, a working page, a tested model or an honest offer. Each activity follows the same loop — read a short explanation, do the task with real files, check it, then ship.
- ReadOne idea, one worked example
- DoA task with real practice files
- CheckExpected results and common mistakes
- ReviewSelf-check questions
- ShipA capstone with a rubric
Start with AI 4
Use AI well in everyday work: prompts, checking, fieldwork and responsible use.
PATH 01 · FOUNDATIONSAI, without the guessworkWrite a reliable research brief.
PATH 11 · AI FOUNDATIONSTest one AI claim in the real worldKeep an evidence-based verdict with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 1 merged module(s)
- Measure whether a workflow actually saves time
PATH 16 · AI FOUNDATIONSAudit a tool with evidence, not an ethics sloganDeliver a reviewable risk record with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..
PATH 02 · EVERYDAY WORKYour first business assistantBuild a customer-reply prompt kit.Includes 1 merged module(s)
- Build an FAQ assistant with a human exit
Data & spreadsheets 3
Clean, join, report and chart data you can defend.
PATH 03 · DATA & SPREADSHEETSMake messy data usefulCreate a checked expense summary.Includes 2 merged module(s)
- Repair dirty records without inventing facts
- Make cleaning decisions testable with Pandas
PATH 17 · DATA & EVIDENCEJoin two datasets without multiplying the truthDeliver a wrangling pipeline with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..
PATH 12 · DATA & EVIDENCEBuild a report that reconciles to its sourceDeliver an auditable report pack with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 1 merged module(s)
- Make charts that tell the checked truth
Build with code & APIs 6
Pages, automations, API clients and reproducible cloud labs.
PATH 04 · BUILD WITH AIFrom idea to working pagePublish a useful one-page tool.
PATH 05 · AUTOMATIONAutomate the boring bit—safelyDesign an approval-first workflow.
PATH 13 · ASSISTANTS & APISConnect an AI API without trusting every responseShip an integration with a teardown note with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 1 merged module(s)
- Understand the AI plumbing
PATH 09 · ASSISTANTS & APISMake a document assistant that knows when to stopHand off a bounded assistant with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..
PATH 10 · CLOUD & CODETurn records into a tested Python reportPackage a script another learner can inspect with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 1 merged module(s)
- Measure an algorithm instead of guessing
PATH 06 · CLOUD & CODEA cloud lab someone else can rerunShip a reproducibility bundle with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Machine learning 4
Honest baselines, pipelines, classification and clustering.
PATH 08 · MEASURED MACHINE LEARNINGBuild a prediction and an honest baselineShip a model card and test record with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 2 merged module(s)
- Fit a regression and inspect its residuals
- See a gradient step succeed—and fail
PATH 18 · MEASURED MACHINE LEARNINGUse a pipeline and a genuinely held-out setShip a versioned experiment bundle with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 2 merged module(s)
- Build a preprocessing step that cannot see the future
- Augment training data without contaminating the test
PATH 14 · MEASURED MACHINE LEARNINGClassify feedback with an uncertainty bucketShip an annotation and error guide with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 1 merged module(s)
- Report uncertainty instead of fake precision
PATH 19 · MEASURED MACHINE LEARNINGFind clusters—and show why they are not factsShip a clustering exploration note with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Plan, create & earn 3
Plans that obey constraints, creative briefs and honest offers.
PATH 15 · PLANNING & UNCERTAINTYBuild a small project plan you can verifyDeliver a plan and retrospective template with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 2 merged module(s)
- Plan a timetable that obeys its constraints
- Make a reversible stock-planning decision
PATH 07 · CREATIVE PRODUCTIONDirect an illustration with a measurable briefDeliver an approved visual pack with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 1 merged module(s)
- Compare generations without moving the goalposts
PATH 20 · EARN BY DOINGEarn by Doing: useful work, honest offersDecide from actual evidence with inputs, tests and a reproducible handoff..Includes 1 merged module(s)
- Create a campaign pack without invented performance
Questions people ask
Is the Academy really free?
Yes. Every path, handbook and practice pack is free to read and download, with no signup. An optional free account only syncs your progress between devices.
Do I get a certificate?
No. Open Practice is not accredited, and self-review is not assessment. You leave with something better for most employers and clients: a finished project and the evidence that it works.
Why did some courses disappear?
Overlapping paths were merged so nothing is taught twice. Your saved progress moved with them automatically, and old links redirect to the new module.
Do I need an AI subscription?
No. Activities work with free tools, your own free API key, or no AI at all. The practice files and expected results let you check your work either way.