Learning path4 levels11 stepsAbout 21 minutes of reading
AI and agentsfrom your first prompt to running agents in production.
Four levels, read in order: how AI models work and how to use them well, how teams choose between workflows and agents and pick the right model for each task, how production agents are built and tested, and how leaders sequence adoption.
Level 1
Start hereStudents, teens, and anyone curious. No experience needed.
What a language model actually does, the habits for using AI well, and what changes when AI starts taking actions.
- 01ArticleHow AI Language Models Work, in Plain EnglishTraining, tokens, context windows, and why models sometimes state false things with confidence.Read →
- 02ArticleUsing AI Well: Checking Answers, Protecting Data, and Knowing the LimitsWhen to trust an answer, how to check it, and what never to paste into a chatbot.Read →
- 03ArticleWhat Is an AI Agent? From Answering Questions to Taking ActionsHow agents plan, use tools, and check results, and why guardrails matter.Read →
Level 2
FoundationsProfessionals putting AI to work, and anyone choosing tools.
Decide whether a task needs an agent at all, choose the right model for each job, and understand what it will cost.
- 04ArticleWorkflow or Agent? A Decision Framework Before You Architect AnythingDecide between a fixed workflow and an agent before building anything.Read →
- 05Slide deck · 14 minChoose the right AI tool.A practical session on choosing the right AI tool for the job.Read →
- 06ArticleChoosing the Right Model (and Knowing When to Switch)How to pick a model for each task, and when to switch.Read →
- 07Buyer guide · 7 minAI model cost vs. performance reportPublic benchmarks showing how matching the model to the task cuts cost without losing quality.Read →
Level 3
PractitionerEngineers, testers, and product owners building AI features.
Test an AI application before it ships, and see the architecture of an agent that runs in production.
Level 4
LeaderEngineering, operations, and business leaders.
Assess where your organization stands with agents and sequence adoption so each step pays for the next.
For teams
Taking a whole team through this?We teach it, coach it, and certify it.
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Related reading
- Primer
How AI Language Models Work, in Plain English
What a large language model actually does: learning from text, predicting the next token, context windows, why models sometimes state false things with confidence, and why some models cost a hundred times more than others. No math required.
Read → - Primer
Using AI Well: Checking Answers, Protecting Data, and Knowing the Limits
Practical habits for using AI assistants at school and at work: when to trust an answer and how to check it, what never to paste into a chatbot, writing clear prompts, bias, and being honest about AI help.
Read → - Primer
What Is an AI Agent? From Answering Questions to Taking Actions
A plain-English introduction to AI agents: how they differ from chat assistants, the loop of planning, using tools, and checking results, why guardrails and human approval matter, and when a simple workflow is the better choice.
Read → - Whitepaper
Starting AI Adoption: A Sequence for Mid-Market Engineering Teams
The order of operations we use with mid-market engineering teams that have been told to ship AI and do not know where to start. Six stages, named exit criteria, the anti-patterns that predict failure, and the first-90-days view that ties architecture, evaluation, and model economics into a coherent adoption sequence.
Read → - Course · ISTQB CT-AI v1.0
The four-day course for testing AI-based systems, and using AI in testing.
Official outline for the ISTQB Certified Tester AI Testing course as delivered by Rex Black Inc. Four days. Eleven chapters. Covers testing AI-based systems and using AI to support software testing.
Read → - Interactive demo
Compare AI Models
Run the same prompt against up to 3 of 13 current models (Anthropic, plus open-weight models from OpenAI, Meta, DeepSeek, Mistral, Alibaba, MiniMax, and Z AI hosted in US data centers) side by side. See real cost, real latency, and real output quality, in real time. Built so you can stop guessing which model fits which job.
Read →
Practices
Where this leads
- TrainingQA and AI training
ISTQB certification and hands-on courses for testers, engineers, and leaders, from one of the first ASTQB-accredited training providers in the United States.
Book a call → - AI agentsAI agents
Voice and intake agents that run in production: they answer the phone, book meetings, and hand off to your team.
Book a call →