How It Works

Understand the mechanics (generative, pre-trained, transformers) so you know what’s actually happening when AI produces an output.

Where It Fails

Hallucinations, sycophancy, inconsistent answers and the black box problem. Test for them yourself so you can spot them before they compromise your work.

When To Use It

Use AI at each stage of the intelligence cycle, from planning to feedback, with six steps that keep you in control.

ABOUT THIS COURSE

The sources you collect may be AI-generated. The tools you rely on embed AI under the hood. Adversaries use it to scale influence operations. Whether you use AI operationally or not, you’re working in an information environment shaped by AI, and most practitioners don’t understand how the technology actually works.

This course gives you the foundation: how generative AI produces outputs, why it sometimes fabricates information, what makes different models behave differently, and how to use AI across the intelligence cycle without handing over your judgement. Lessons are built on real tests, studies and cases, with sources cited so you can follow them up.

For practitioners who want to understand the technology critically, not chase the hype. Certificate on completion

WHAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO

Explain, in plain language, how generative AI produces an answer and why it can sound right when it isn’t.

Recognise hallucination and sycophancy, and test for them.

Spot AI-generated content and AI-shaped search results in what you collect.

Choose a model and setup that fits your environment, including policy and data jurisdiction.

Use AI at each stage of the intelligence cycle, with checks matched to the risk.

Apply six steps that keep the analyst in control and record AI’s contribution.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Watch a model’s next-word probabilities shift as you change its temperature setting.

Compare models on openness and hallucination rate, then build your own comparison.

Test your eye on pairs of human and machine writing.

Work through a try-it at each stage of the cycle, from brainstorming a requirement to writing one product for two audiences.

Reflect on what non-deterministic AI means for repeatable analysis, and write your own AI rules of engagement.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Seven short modules, about 20 minutes of video, hands-on activities, knowledge-check quizzes, and four best practice guides to keep: Managing AI Integration, Evaluating AI Outputs, Citing AI, and Making Smart Selections in Training and Tooling.

TIME, AUDIENCE & PREREQUISITES

Estimated time to complete: ~3 hours, including videos, reading, quizzes and activities. 

Who this course is for: OSINT practitioners who want to understand AI before relying on it. You might be new to the technology, using tools with AI embedded under the hood, or working in an organisation that restricts AI use, where you still need to understand what adversaries can do with it. It’s also foundational for anyone preparing for other OSINT training where AI literacy is increasingly assumed. No prior AI experience is required.

What you’ll need: A web browser. Some activities use free AI tools such as Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. If your organisation restricts AI use, you can still follow the demonstrations on video and complete the reflection activity. 

Prerequisites: None. Familiarity with OSINT concepts and the intelligence cycle will help you get more from the examples, but isn’t required. Module 1 includes a short refresher.

WHAT'S NEXT?

This course is the foundation. Leveraging Generative AI for OSINT is the application: hands-on prompting, tool selection, workflow integration and real-world case studies. Complete AI Essentials first, then continue there.

Our other courses, including Navigating the Chinese Internet and Area and Event Assessments, increasingly assume AI literacy. Understanding how AI shapes the information environment will strengthen your work across the curriculum.

COURSE CURRICULUM

    1. Welcome

    2. Before We Begin

    3. Why This Course Matters: Even If You Can't Use It

    4. Intelligence, OSINT and the Intelligence Cycle

    5. What Is OSINT?

    6. Setting the Theme: AI as a Support Tool in OSINT

    7. Quiz: Intro to AI

    1. What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

    2. What Is Generative AI (Gen AI)?

    3. Where AI Shows Up

    4. Accessing Free Chatbots

    5. Impact on Search

    6. Impact on Sources

    7. Quiz: What Is AI?

    1. Why the Mechanism Matters

    2. How AI Learned

    3. How AI Answers

    4. What AI Can See

    5. Quiz: Understanding How Generative AI Works

    1. Introduction: The Reality of Working with AI

    2. Hallucinations

    3. Sycophancy

    4. Non-deterministic Behaviour

    5. The Uncertainties Behind the Scenes

    6. Activity: Challenges of Being Non-deterministic

    7. Quiz: The Reality of Working with AI

    1. Choosing "AI"

    2. Model Types and Dials

    3. The Funnel

    4. What the Model Can Reach

    5. Same but Different? (Why Responses Vary)

    6. Quiz: Model Comparison

    1. The Cycle with AI in It

    2. The Six Steps for Using AI

    3. Planning & Direction: Frame the Requirement

    4. Collection: AI Points, Sources Prove

    5. Processing: Translate, Transcribe, Extract, Summarise

    6. Analysis & Production: Challenge, Don't Confirm

    7. Dissemination: Write It, Cite It, Own It

    8. Evaluation & Feedback: Learn and Re-baseline

    9. Activity: Your AI Rules of Engagement

    10. Quiz: AI Across the Intelligence Cycle

About this course

  • $99.00
  • 44 lessons
  • 0.5 hours of video content