10-202: Introduction to Modern AI

10-202: Introduction to Modern AI is a Carnegie Mellon University course taught by Professor Zico Kolter that teaches how modern AI systems work, focusing on the machine learning methods and large language models (LLMs) behind systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. The course is offered simultaneously as a free online version alongside the in-person CMU offering, with content released two weeks after the on-campus schedule. Students build a minimal AI chatbot through a series of programming assignments, gaining hands-on experience implementing transformers, LLMs, and reinforcement learning from scratch. The course is designed for learners with basic Python and calculus knowledge.

• Comprehensive Curriculum covering supervised machine learning, large language models, post-training, AI safety, and reasoning models in a structured semester-long format.
• Hands-On Programming Assignments guide students through building a minimal AI chatbot step by step, from linear models to a full LLM implementation, using Google Colab and Marimo notebooks.
• Free Online Enrollment allows anyone to watch lecture videos and submit autograded assignments via the mugrade system, with content available two weeks after the CMU release dates.
• Autograded Homework via mugrade lets online students submit and receive instant feedback on programming assignments without needing to be enrolled at CMU.
• Lecture Videos for every class session are publicly available on YouTube, covering topics from a brief history of AI to reinforcement learning for LLMs.
• Structured Topic Progression moves from supervised learning and neural networks through self-attention, transformers, tokenizers, supervised fine-tuning, alignment, and reasoning models.
• AI Policy Guidance encourages students to use AI tools as learning aids while completing final submissions independently to maximize understanding and exam performance.
• Marimo Notebook Support provides an alternative interactive notebook format alongside the standard Colab notebooks for all homework assignments.