AI & Automation Fundamentals: LLMs, Prompting, RAG, Agents & Automation

Cornerstone guide

AI & Automation Fundamentals: LLMs, Prompting, RAG, Agents & Automation

1 min readPublished 22 Jul 2026

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  1. AI Fundamentals: ML, Deep Learning & Generative AI
  2. Large Language Models (LLMs)
  3. Prompt Engineering
  4. AI Assistants: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & Copilot
  5. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
  6. Vector Databases & Embeddings
  7. AI Agents
  8. Automation & Workflows
  9. Python for AI & Automation
  10. AI Productivity
  11. AI Security
  12. AI Governance
  13. AI in Cyber Security

AI and automation are reshaping every job in tech — and the people who understand them are the ones who thrive. This library teaches modern AI from the ground up: how large language models work, how to prompt them, how to build with RAG and agents, and how to automate real work safely and responsibly. Learn it once here and apply it across every role.

Interactive explainer

The AI Landscape

How AI, ML, deep learning and generative AI nest together.

1Artificial Intelligence2Machine Learning3Deep Learning4Generative AI

Tap or hover a part to learn more.

Artificial Intelligence

The broad field.

The widest circle: any software that performs tasks usually needing human intelligence — reasoning, perception, language. Everything below is a subset of AI.

Check your understanding

1. How do AI and machine learning relate?

2. What does generative AI do?

Keep learning

Practise this in AI Interview™

What this path covers

Where this fits

Pair this with Programming Fundamentals and Cyber Security Fundamentals, then rehearse with AI Interview™ and evidence it in your Career Passport™.

Start with AI Fundamentals.

Interview Intelligence

How this topic actually shows up in interviews — and how to demonstrate you understand it.

Why employers ask about this

AI and automation are transforming every industry, making these among the most valuable skills of the decade.

Technical questions
Why should professionals learn AI and automation?+

Because they multiply productivity and are reshaping every role — those who understand them lead, those who don't fall behind.

Behavioural questions
How do you approach learning a fast-moving field like AI?+

Fundamentals first (how LLMs work), then practical use (prompting, tools), then building (RAG, agents, Python).

Real-world scenarios
“You want to future-proof your career.”+

Expected answer: Build AI & automation fundamentals, apply them in your role, and evidence the skills for AI-enabled positions.

Employability Intelligence

Where this knowledge takes you — the jobs, skills and certifications it feeds into.

Relevant roles
AI EngineerAutomation EngineerData EngineerAI Security Engineer
Skills you're proving
AI fundamentalsLLMs & promptingRAG & agentsAutomation
Recommended certifications
Microsoft AI-900 (AI Fundamentals)Microsoft AI-102AWS AI Practitioner
Career progression

AI & Automation Fundamentals → AI/automation/data roles across every sector.

What employers expect

That you can use AI tools effectively, understand their limits, and automate work responsibly.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be technical to learn AI fundamentals?

No — this path starts with concepts anyone can grasp, then goes as deep as building with Python for those who want to.

Does this cover the popular AI tools?

Yes — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, plus how to use them well and safely.

Which roles use AI & automation skills?

Increasingly every role — plus AI Engineers, Automation Engineers, Data Engineers and AI Security specialists.

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Missiora is an AI Employability Intelligence platform. Our resources are researched and reviewed by the Missiora team to help you measure, improve and prove your career readiness.