Stanford University · Course
Technical Fundamentals of Generative AI (XFM110)
Technical Fundamentals of Generative AI (XFM110) is a self-paced Stanford Online course developed with Stanford HAI. It takes you into how foundation models work through a conference-style set of expert talks, including why some prompting techniques work far better than others.
Who it suits
- Professionals who want more than a surface understanding of how generative AI works.
- People who will use LLMs for the exercises and want the technical reasoning behind them.
What it covers
- How foundation models operate.
- The engineering choices involved in training large language models.
- Why certain prompting techniques yield significantly better results.
- The strategies that maximise performance, and the implications that will shape the technology’s future.
Watch here
From Stanford University’s own channel, so you can start without leaving Infrato. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.
Stanford Online · 2026
Course Overview - Technical Fundamentals of Generative AI
Common questions about Technical Fundamentals of Generative AI (XFM110)
- How long is it?
- Stanford lists 9 hours, 100% online and on demand, with 60 days of course access and a record of completion.
- Do I need paid tools?
- Stanford says no paid third-party tools are required; exercises ask you to use a large language model of your choice.
- Is it part of a programme?
- Stanford lists it in its Generative AI: Technology, Business, and Society Program.
More like this
Keep learning on Infrato
- Path: AI for business leaders
- Path: AI for software developers
- More from Stanford University: all Stanford University listings in the directory
- Explore all AI courses
Where this comes from
Written from Stanford University’s own pages, read on 2026-10-14. Content, prices and availability change, so the provider’s page is the source. We are not affiliated with Stanford University and this is not an endorsement.