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CiAConsultancy in ActionAI Operations for Real Businesses

Training · Entry

AI Essentials for SMEs

A clear, non-technical grounding in what AI can and cannot do — where it helps, and where it introduces risk.

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What it is

Most teams have opinions about AI; far fewer have an accurate picture of it. AI Essentials replaces hype and anxiety with a working understanding: what language models are genuinely good at, where they fail, and how to use them with judgment. Everyone leaves with their own use-case list and the habits to start safely on day one.

What we cover

What AI is — and what it is not
Generative AI, predictive AI and workflow automation, in plain English
What language models do well: drafting, summarising, classifying, extracting, ideating
Where they are weak: factual certainty, judgment, hidden assumptions, source reliability
Hallucination, bias, copyright and over-reliance
AI readiness: data, process, technology, people and governance
Basic prompting that works: role, task, context, format
Human accountability — AI assists, people own outcomes

What you leave with

Working documents, handed over the same week — not a slide deck.

A personal AI use-case list for every attendee
A prompt quick-reference card
An AI risk-spectrum worksheet
A pre/post confidence score for the whole team

Where it leads

Most teams pair this with Safe AI Use & Data Protection as a single day, then move to Prompt Engineering & Workflow Design once the basics have bedded in.

Grounded in

ICO — AI and data protection guidanceNIST AI Risk Management Framework

Pairs well with

Entry · Half-day or full-day

Safe AI Use & Data Protection

How to use AI without leaking confidential information, breaching client trust, or relying on unverified output.

£1,000–£1,500

Entry · Half-day or full-day

AI Opportunity Sprint for Teams

Turn your team's knowledge into a ranked list of AI opportunities — value, risk, effort and a recommended next step for each.

From £500

Core · Full-day

Prompt Engineering & Workflow Design

Move from ad-hoc prompting to repeatable, governed workflows that save time without sacrificing quality.

£1,500–£3,000

Ready to book AI Essentials?

Tell us your team size and sector and we'll confirm scope, date and a firm fee in writing — or take the free assessment first for a baseline.

Book this courseTake the free assessment